Love of the Daughter
by Xstina Bread
Summary: Turmoil in Hyrule has erupted in war, and the absence of Link from his family's side during this time has taken a toll on his relationships with his children and wife. Now it's his daughter and son's responsibility to bring their father home.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is a story inspired from my love for twilight princess and my desire to write a tale about what I think may have befallen Link after the fight is over in the years to come. I'm in college and the moment and don't know how frequently updates will be. But anyway, enough of my talking! On with the show! How you enjoy:)

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**Love of the Daughter**

**Chapter 1**

"Keep the reigns steady against your belly, otherwise she'll do what she wants, understand?"

Midna stared down at her father, his hands resting on his hips. His eyes were calm, and his face stoic, even bored. Midna found it annoying how he wasn't reacting as the mare clipped the ground, rearing back. Her hands shook, and as she yanked the reigns towards her. The horse's rearing ceased. Midna felt her heart pumping so fast that she had little time to steady herself. A bead of sweat was dripping uncomfortably down her arm. Epona flipped her tail and snorted, her ears flipping back to listen to Midna's fast breathing.

"Deep breaths, Midna."

Midna did as she was told. Her father gently took the reigns from her hand and pushed her slouching figure straight on the saddle, his hand on her belly. His comments continued.

"Don't slouch, it throws the horse's balance off."

"Yes, Papa."

"Good. Good girl, want to get down?"

"Yes."

Midna took a deep breath as her father grabbed her under her arms firmly and lifted her from the saddle.

"Don't slip!"

Midna grabbed the saddle horn as the old mare moved forward unexpectedly, and then she was on the ground and staring her father in the face. His skin shone a coppered sun color and his hair, once a brilliant shade of blond, was now moving into a blond gray. Link patted his daughter on the shoulder, the growing lines around his eyes creasing.

"You did very well today."

"I'm still scared of them."

Link smiled. "It's okay, you'll get used to it, all horses really want to do it have fun with you, can you keep that in mind?"

"Yes."

Link turned, picking up the bundle of wrapped clothes and swinging it over his shoulder. He walked over to Epona with a smooth grace that Midna envied. The mare's ears flitted to listen to him as he patted her neck and fixed the bundle to the back of the saddle. Midna watched him, her stomach hurting from hunger. A slow empty feeling was growing in a place she knew she should have felt nothing.

"Papa?"

Link turned towards her, his eyebrows raised.

"When are you going to be back home again?"

"Two days, Midna. Can you wait that long?"

"No."

Link smiled and turned back to the horse. "I'll be okay."

"Mom said you've got to stay home this week."

Link turned towards her again, sort of half frowned and then strung his left leg into the stirrup and swung over the horse, plopping into the saddle.

"I've talked with mom, it's okay. I'm late already, so I've gotta go."

Epona snorted and Midna glanced at the copse of trees next to the Ordon bridge. A cloud passed over the sun and the wind blew a pleasant, humid breeze through Midna's reddish blond hair. Midna felt the emptiness grow larger.

"Okay." She said, the meekness of her voice making her angry at herself. She wanted to shout for him to stay, but she just sat there, fidgeting and looking at the ground, and playing with the silver ring on her finger.

Her father looked on her briefly, his face portraying a cool curiosity. He pulled the black cloak on over his clothes and with a swift kick, Epona was cantering across the bridge towards the Faron Province and Link was out of sight. Midna watched as the graceful figure of him riding glided from view, his cape fluttering in the breeze.

Midna tried to ignore the uncomfortable anger, but it was too much watching him leave. She watched the fading sun beams play with the turning yellows and reds of the fall leaves. Midna closed her eyes and listened; the bullfrogs were beginning to croak at twilight at the Ordona spring, Midna decided that might be a good place to sit around before she was called back inside. Midna clenched her fists, and then grasped the nearest stone by her foot and hurtled it at the largest elm tree in the grove, it bounced off innocently into the dirt.

"Bastard!" Midna blurted out.

There was a ruckus of laughter from behind her. Midna turned to see her brother, small, skinny, his hair full of mud, pointing at her while bending over and laughing towards the ground.

"What are you laughing at?" Midna growled.

"You, you're such a gigantic dork, you can't even ride dad's horse, ha ha!"

Midna felt her face scrunch at this.

"How long were you watching you snot?!"

Rykan yanked the tip of his nose up with his index finger and began to make a vague honking, oinking sound. Midna ignored this feeble display and walked towards the spring, trying to control her steps, unclenching her hands and taking a deep breath.

"Midna! When's dad getting back?" Rykan asked as he ran after her.

"Two days he said."

"Better make that three, or four!" Rykan joked.

"Shut up."

Midna flipped off her sandals and stepped into the ankle deep water, lifting her pant legs so they wouldn't get wet. Rykan's footsteps behind her came as a warning, and soon there was a rooster tail of water splashing her in the face. Rykan lay on his back in the spring, his arms spread, and taking obvious, hostile delight in Midna's turn of mood.

Midna sat down in the sand and began to ring out her blouse, gathering her short, now wet hair into a ponytail and tying it with the leather band she had hidden away in her right back pocket. "Jerk." Midna sighed.

Rykan fluttered into the deeper part of the fountain, water trickling over the brimmed, moss covered stones. Midna rested her head on her folded arms and glared into the distance.

Rykan flipped over in the water, stripping off his shirt. "Mom said that dad is the new Trade Master! Cool huh?"

"Thrilling." Midna spat.

"She said that means I'll get to ride with him to the castle someday! Maybe we'll see Zelda!"

"Dad doesn't talk with her anymore, remember?"

Rykan appeared not to hear her, it made Midna want to throttle him. "Then we can trade meat and wool and milk and make money. But you know what I really want to be?"

Midna felt the answer coming from a mile away, her voice went flat. "No, what?"

"A knight! Like Dad!"

"Wow." Midna droned.

Rykan swam towards her. "But you can't become a knight, because you're a _girl,_ha ha ha!"

Midna grabbed his hair. "Shut up Rykan!"

Rykan whimpered, pawing at her arms. "Ow, stop it!"

There was a woman's voice calling in the distance, Midna dropped Rykan's face into the water to listen. Rykan pitifully spat water as he planted his hands in the sand to prop himself up.

"Don't DO that!" Rykan whined.

Midna put a gentle finger to her brothers lips, listening. The voice hollered again.

"Midna, Rykan, diner!"

Midna rose to her feet and sped off, grabbing her sandals into her hands as she did this, Rykan tripped as he plodded from the water, but he was swiftly on her heels.

"Hey, wait up!"

The sun was receding and Midna's vision was beginning to give as it became darker. She ran forward, leaping over the largest stone in the path and looked over her shoulder. Rykan struggled to keep pace with her.

"Midna, diner!" The woman's voice was more annoyed this time as she yelled.

Midna leapt over another rock, gracefully slipping through a spliced tree trunk and found herself in her mothers front yard. The old house receding into the back of the forest. Ivy covering the right side. Illia was staring at her suspiciously as she came to a halt in front of her.

"Wipe off your feet before you come in please, where's your brother?"

"Dead!" Midna grinned.

Illia pursed her lips unpleasantly. Midna heard Rykan's footfalls as he tripped through the same tree that she'd bounded over, and he came to a panting halt next to her.

"Next time, help your brother please, he's smaller then you."

"Yes ma'am."

Rykan kicked her ankle. "Hag."

Midna's flicked her brother in the arm and he squirmed and rubbed it. "Ow!"

Midna climbed the ladder up to the front door, Rykan climbing after her, both tentatively taking off their shoes as they entered and stacked them in the threshold. The house was filled with horse riding gear, maps, tools for farming, but despite the clutter, it was relatively clean, and right now, the distinct smell of meat stew had filled the cottage and it instantly helped Midna to relax.

Illia wiped her hands clean with a wet rag as she handed her children their bowls of soup and they sat down for diner. Midna found the soup's taste bland. She couldn't help watching her mother, because she had barely said anything to them all day. Yesterday had been different, she had been talkative and active all afternoon, and dad had taken her on a horse ride through the forest. Which Midna found unusual, he usually wasn't that affectionate.

-----

The days passed. Midna found herself standing by the Ordon bridge and in her boredom, picking apart the falling leaves from the elm trees. The gate flapped in the wind absently. Her mother had stayed quiet, only talking in small amounts at meal time to ask them how there day was or talk about how Rykan helped her bake. Rykan hadn't seem to notice her sadness too much in the last year, but Midna had seem it like a warning bell ringing madly for someone to pay attention.

It was the third morning and he wasn't back.

Midna got up and began to walk back to the house. She took a detour into the village instead as she walked. Colin was tending his fathers house and waved at her absently as she went by, then continued to hammer wooden nails into the roof. He had grown up, her dad mentioned, into a man he was proud to know, Midna often wondered what his definition of proud was. Midna found Colin's cheerful goodly guy attitude fun, but irritating at times.

"Hey Midna, hold on a second!" Midna turned around to see Colin hanging from the roof by his hands. his clumsy swinging legs ending with him half falling to the ground. He haplessly brushed himself off and jogged towards her, ruffling his dirty blond hair. "Is your dad back yet? We've got..."

"No." Midna interrupted.

"Oh." Colin looked cheerful. "How's your mom?"

Midna shrugged. Colin was looking at her strangely, he moved his head to the side and seemed to be pondering something. "Well, he should be back from the castle soon, sometimes those trading markets can keep you there a couple extra days."

Midna watched him as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Have you ever been to the castle Colin?"

"Yeah, once, when your dad got knighted, that was cool."

"Oh, neat." Midna nodded.

Colin laughed, his thickness seeming to be a shield for her passive sarcasm.

"Hey listen, your dad told me that when he gets back I was supposed to give this to you, but I thought it wouldn't be a big deal, since he's late, giving it to you now."

Midna felt her heart tense, she wasn't sure what to say. "Oh." Midna mumbled.

"He said it was important, I dunno what he meant though."

Colin reached his hand into the pouch attached to his belt and brought out a carved wooden horse, painted red and white. It looked like a stylized, miniature Epona. Midna cupped the small wooden toy in her hand, frowning.

"Thank you Colin."

Colin waved at her absently. "Aww, it's not big deal. What does it mean, anyway?"

Midna shrugged. "I'm not sure, I'm afraid of horses... maybe he thought this would help or something."

"Oh." Colin said, staring at her, he seemed confused.

Midna smiled at him to break the somewhat awkward silence that had arisen and to hide the fact that her hands were shaking just a little. "Um, I'm going to head back home, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you later!" Colin mused, waving at her as she walked off.

"Yup." Midna said, trying to keep her steps in line. She pocketed the horse.

-----

Her mom was sitting in the corner with a few of the other women of the village playing cards, her face brightening and laughing as someone cracked a joke Midna didn't understand. There was a warm fire in the living room and the house was a mess. Midna thought about a fleeting memory of hearing Illia cry herself to sleep at night. Rykan hadn't known what to do, and started crying as well, so both of them had clung to each other that night, too scared to do anything for her. Midna had told him one of the ancient legends of 'Azu I the Great King of Hyrule', and his tears had stopped. It was a story that Illia would tell both of them every couple of weeks to calm there nerves and it always made her feel better.

As Midna felt that empty place hurt again, her eyes glazed a little, she wasn't sure how late it was. Midna sat down at the dining room table and watched her mother gossip and play cards. She watched the fire and stared at Rykan playing a game of catch, then hide and seek outside with some of the other kids though the small front window. Time passed and died into the twilight as it turned dark, it was boring.

Midna rested her head on the window sill, her mother and her had a brief exchange of words before Illia and Rykan went to bed. It was dark out, Midna poked the dying fire with the metal branding tools that were normally mounted on the walls, hoping maybe one of them would melt in an interesting way if she held them under the flames or coals long enough. The coals pulsed soft colors of orange and red as they died, and Midna felt it was time for her to retire as well. The oil lantern by the back door lit as she exited with a bucket to get some water from the well for putting out the fire.

Crickets cooed softly and the stars could be clearly seen through the thick nets of tree limbs. There were the few fireflies that flittered about, there luminance caught Midna off guard a few times as they turned on and off. Midna attached the bucket to the rope line over the well and swiftly began to lower it. It creaked curtly as it was lowered, the old metal joints of the pulley complaining, rusted dust floating off of them into the cool night air. Midna thought she might oil the joints tomorrow morning. She set the Lantern down beside the well and kept lowering it, curious how far down their well was, since she had never bothered to ask either of her parents.

She heard a soft splash as the bucket filled with water at the bottom. Midna held up the lantern, leaning over the well to stare down into it. She gauged that it was probably about forty feet deep, and she had to urge to go and borrow her fathers measuring tools from his study just to make sure, but the thought passed.

Midna sighed, leaning over the railing of the well and staring down into the reflecting pool, the glow of her lantern reflecting sleekly back at her from the rippling water. She wiggled the lantern around to play with the light. Midna stopped. There was a vague, weird shadow about ten feet down that she hadn't noticed before. Midna wiggled the lantern again and a shining flicker that she thought had been a trick of light reappeared for a second. Midna squinted her eyes and flickered the lantern around again. The brief flicker returned sporadically.

Midna's mind raced as she pondered about what it might be, even if it was something that Rykan had accidentally dumped down there, like one of their pieces of silverware, or an old twisted iron bar, she wanted to see what this mystery was. Midna grabbed her lantern to walk back into the house, leaving the hauled bucket of water halfway pulled up the line.

Her mind whirled, she remembered an old keepsake that her father still had that he had only showed her once, an ancient thing that she now really wanted to find, she just couldn't remember what you called it.

Midna feverishly ran to the door of her father's study, pulling the doors wide open to reveal the enthralled, but cramped room. Rows of dusty books and shelves with carpenter and riding tools lined the room walls, maps of Hyrule and the neighboring kingdoms cluttered the desks, and in the eastern corner, a huge, cast iron locked chest was propped awkwardly against the wall. He kept a spare key in the room at all times. Midna remembered him mentioning that once as well. Midna raced to the main desks by the window, parting the clutter of quills, bottled inks and books of sketches and folded, aging paper, looking for it. She ripped the drawers from the chests to either sides of the desk, finding jewelry, trinkets, measuring tools, squares, plumb bobs and old horse cropping equipment.

A false bottom, it had to be somewhere. Midna tapped the bottom of each drawer as she examined there contents, listening intently for the hollowed sound. She emptied and repacked each one with the proper materials, and then she found it, hidden away in one of the lower drawers, its off colored wood and cherry smell was pleasant and soothing. The wood clunked as she hit it, a tinging sound and thumping of something behind it made her jump. Midna dug her fingernails underneath the lid of the drawer, prying up the bottom. There was the rusted iron key sitting in a small square cubby in the wood. An ornate decorative design embroidered across the keys surface.

"Gotcha." Midna smiled.

As she struggled with the rusted key, the padlock to the cast iron chest fell away and Midna carefully, soundlessly, lifted the heavy top and set it against the wall. A stagnant smell creeped out of the chest, along with an initial fury of unpleasant, old dust. There was a thick burlap blanket covering up whatever was underneath it. Midna pulled it aside and stared, dumbfounded, at the tools and tricks that lay in perfectly wrapped and labeled sacks of burlap and linen. One read "Gale Boomerang", another, "Hero's Bow", there were a few huge things at the bottom that Midna cleared away to examine. One was a very strangely built machine that resembled the wooden tops that her dad had once carved for her and her brother out of oak scrap from when they extended the house. Another a huge weapon, a ball and chain.

"Weird." Midna heard herself say.

She cleared the smaller ones away as she looked, gently peeling back the cloth to get a glimpse of there shining, intact wonder. Then she found it... or rather, two of them, something her father had neglected to mentioned; the "Clawshots".

Midna picked one of them up carefully from it's resting place and peeled back the cloth to gaze at the clamped metal fingers on the far side. She set the unwrapped cloth back in the padlocked chest, and quickly closed and secured it.

There was a painful wonder that engulfed her as she looked around to imagine how many other secrets he'd hidden in this room. Midna took in a deep breath, tracing her fingers along the cool, smooth metal of the machine and slipped the gloved thing on over her hand.

Midna rose and grabbed her lantern, padlocking the chest and staring down at her prize. Midna closed the doors, heading back towards the well, her mind working overtime. She realized she had no idea how her father had made this thing work properly.

Midna stood outside, glaring over the side of the well, her hand in the gloved compartment of the claw shot sweating as she stared around the opening of the well to a place across from the shadowed nook in the well. Midna pointed the Clawshot upwards first, her hand gripping the inside, she pulled her fingers tightly around the smooth grip, there was a loud click and the claws spread open. Midna jumped, her whole arm shaking, she pulled down tighter on the grip, aiming the weapon at a nearby stone and pulled. There was a loud noise and the weapon shot like a bullet towards the rock, and smashed it into several large fragments, and then reeled back into it's case, the grip switch inside hurting her fingers as it clicked back into place.

"Wow... cool." Midna whispered. She waited, hoping that her mother hadn't heard the noise, or Rykan. When no noise came and no windows upstairs lit up, Midna got on her knees and leaned over the brim of the well, aiming the weapon at the shadowed nook.

With a blast of energy, the claws pounced around something and reeled back it. The tool, or whatever it was tied up in there grasp. Midna peeled back one of the claws to get a look at the small mystery. It glittered in the light as she turned it. Realizing that it was some kind of small, metal cased journal. The pages worn and ragged from use. On the front of the metal was engraved the symbol of the royal family.

Midna set her Clawshot down on the ground and grabbed for her lantern. She fingered the book nervously, and opened the cover. On the inside was her father's name written in black, weathered ink in the top left corner. Midna glanced at the first page, the first paragraph read in scribbled handwriting:

_To find my serenity, I must first find the tools to let go of the past, and live in the present in a consistent and freeing way. These last few years have been the hardest of my life, I feel empty. Like a cast aside piece of trash for public amusement. Who the fuck cares about a useless knight, when I did such great things in days past?_

Midna could feel her eyes widening, and she closed the book and stared at it. Her heart was beating, and reality seemed to swoon and dance before her. _What is this? _ Midna thought meekly. She reopened the book and kept reading:

_No one knows the half of me that still lives in that place of Twilight when she left this world, and it pains me as I grow. There's nothing I can do about Midna now, nothing. My beast self a memory, and Midna a growing blur as I age. Why is it so hard to live like this? Illia, a woman I respect, yet, I don't know if this is the answer. We're due to be married in a month, and my feet are getting cold, my head is in the wrong places._

Below the words trailed off into more scribbles and Midna couldn't make them out. On the bottom of the first page was a small ink drawing of a round disc with etchings on it, underneath it read: The Mirror of Twilight. Midna flipped the page, and yet more drawing, and another paragraph of calligraphic scribbles:

_Twilight Princess, how I miss our friendship... Midna, when the time between day and night falls, I find myself roaming the hills near the Eldin bridge in my mind, the place of my greatest battle, our greatest moment. I hope your world is well. It's so hard, it feels wrong that I should be alive._

Midna frowned. "Wrong that you should be alive?"

The drawings were all of things that made Midna's stomach lurch. Great swatches of ink resembling beastly faces, wolves that distorted and moved and bent with the page. Midna closed the journal and found herself staring out into the darkness, crushed, confused and not sure if she could get up.

"Who's the Twilight Princess?" Midna whispered.

"Midna?" It was her mothers voice. Midna stood up, fumbling to slip the book inside of the pouch strapped to her hip. Behind her, Midna made out the silhouette of Rykan. "Dear, what are you doing out here?"

"Nothing. I got distracted by the night sounds." Midna smiled. She grabbed her lantern and the bucket full of water and quietly walked back to the house. Her mother hugged her, smiling, and went back into her room, closing the door quietly. Rykan was still standing by the door, looking at her in a calculating manner.

Midna stared back at him. He punched her in the elbow. "Liar."

Midna ignored this gesture and stalked towards the fire, measuring her steps as to not give away that her arms and fingers were trembling. Rykan followed her closely, his look was more intense. Midna put out the fire and turned towards her brother.

"Hey Rykan?"

"What?" Rykan grumbled.

"I think there's a lot we don't know about dad." Midna whispered.

Rykan pushed her shoulder. "Liar!"

"It's time to got to bed..."

"Dad's coming home tomorrow!" Rykan's voice cracked, and Midna reached out to grasp her brothers arm.

"Rykan... I want to see dad too."

There was a silence, Midna could hear him sniffle once, not seeing his face, then he briefly grasped her hand. "Jerk." He croaked.

"... I'll show you tomorrow. A secret I think dad wanted us to know."

"What secret?"

Midna paused to think. "I'm not sure what it is now, but I'll let you know when I know, okay?"

Rykan squeezed her arm again. "That's not fair, I'm allowed to know just as much as..."

Midna leaned down and hugged him. "Please just trust me right now."

Rykan seemed startled by the gesture, sighed and then wiggled from her grip, looking pissed.

"Fine... I won't let you forget it." Rykan said softly, but with an edge of annoyance.

His footsteps padded off towards his room. Midna heard the door close softly, and she leaned back to hit the back of her head against the wall, frustrated, confused and exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Love of the Daughter**

**Chapter 2**

Midna awoke to the thunder of horse feet outside of her house. There front door rattled with heavy knocks. Midna burst from her room, catching her mother as she ran to the door, her face stricken with worry, clutching her thrown on afghan and blouse. The man saluted her as she opened the door. Rykan opened his door a crack to peak out into the main area, Midna and Rykan exchanged looks.

"Miss Illia?"

"Yes..." Illia's voice cracked slightly.

"Could you please step outside for a moment with us?"

"Ye... yes of course."

The door slammed and Midna slipped out of her room, her heart was pounding. The men were dressed in full knight armor, great plums of winged helmets and royal swords and spears, their horses decorated in plated mail and armor. The royal families crest was emblazoned across the rims of their helmets.

Rykan was snuggled into a patched quilt that there mother had crafted many years ago, his eyes were puffy with sleep, but there was a tear falling down his right cheek. Midna walked towards him and Rykan looked up at her.

"Hey buddy..." Midna whispered, and rustled his hair. Rykan looked back towards the door and huddled in the quilt, briefly wiping his drippy nose. Midna squatted down next to him. "You want me to go spy on what's going on?" Midna asked softly.

Rykan looked down at the floor for a long time, then looked back at the door, he frowned.

"Whatever." Rykan's voice hinting at slight, masked worry.

Midna quietly walked towards the nearest window and with the slightest push, nudged the glass on the window open slightly.

Midna heard her mother's voice first. "When did you lose track of him?"

"Two days ago in the evening, he simply disappeared from his post. This is the fifth time this month, but I..."

"And this is the first damned time I hear about this?! He has kids back here, family who don't know if he's even alive! This is withholding information, it's against the law!"

The man looked stunned, his bowed to her slightly. "I'm terribly sorry... the reason why we're informing you now is that he usually will return within twenty four hours, but I'm afraid it's been two days and still no sign of..."

"So what are your plans to find him?"

The man paused, his armored grip tightening and loosening his spear. "We've sent out several scouting parties that are..."

"How many is several, I don't know what that means!" Illia barked, waving her hand violently.

"Four... four scouting parties ma'am... and we will let you know when we find him."

Illia looked down in thought. "I hold you're militia personally responsible if he dies. The princess will be furious when this news gets to her."

"She too has been informed. I'm sorry... the war with the southerners has turned rather nasty and we can only spare so many troops. Your husband is a great asset to our nations pride, he is the hero of our land and all our neighboring regions but..."

"I've heard enough." Illia's voice snapped. She reached for the door handle and Midna ran back to her room, Rykan scampering for his as well. The door shut and Illia stood at the threshold, staring at nothing in particular. Midna watched her in terror as her hands brushed her face and she fell to the floor, weeping quiet, body heaving sobs. Midna opened her door slightly more and with a willful urge to keep her own pain hidden, walked towards her mother. Illia noticed her daughter and instantly tried to collect herself, but Midna just gave her a weak smile and sat down on the floor next to her. Illia ruffled the cloth of her blouse nervously with her hands, not looking at Midna's face.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." Illia said. Midna sat there. Illia finally looked at her, and Midna had to struggle not to look away. Midna leaned forward and locked her mother in an embrace and let her weep a bit longer. She could see Rykan's door open slightly.

"Mom..." Midna cursed herself in advance about what she was going to say. "Mom... I'm going to go and bring dad home... for good."

Illia leaned back from her daughter, her brows knitted, looking skeptical and confused. There was a long, panicked silence. Midna saw her mother grit her teeth.

"Excuse me?" Illia whispered.

"Mom... I'm going to go out and find dad... and I'm going to bring him home."

"No..." Illia growled. "No, you're grounded, you can't leave this house!" Illia's eyes filled with tears again. Midna looked at her with a weak, sad smile.

"Mom... I gotta do this... for you, for Rykan... for me, okay? Those Militia men are idiots, you said it yourself."

Midna watched as her face contorted into shock and then into something angry and embittered. Illia pushed Midna back and a sharp slap hit her cheek. Illia looked on her with a rage that Midna had never seen. Illia rose to her feet and began walking to her room, the door slammed and Midna felt the hurt and shock hit her and she felt helpless and strangely numbed. She touched her hurting left cheek and winced, it was going to bruise and it stung.

Rykan's door opened more, and he looked at her in his honest, calculating manner. Rykan wiped his nose and sniffled, then walked towards his sister. "I'm going too." Rykan said quietly. Midna looked at him, and felt the urge to cry, but not the energy. Rykan looked at her, his face honest it his decision. Midna patted his shoulder gently, trying to ignore herself as her eyes welled with tears.

"Okay buddy... you can come too." Midna said.

Rykan squatted down and touched her cheek. "She's really upset..." Rykan said cooly.

Midna smiled weaky. Rykan looked at his moms door and faked a smile. "That's okay, mom'll happy again... when we find dad."

Midna nodded. "Yeah..." she croaked. An overwhelming sense of dread took her that she had been ignoring, and she walked back to her room, and closed the door, leaving Rykan standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Midna felt her knees go weak and she threw herself on her bed, throwing a pillow over her head and half screamed, have sobbed into her mattress until she fell back to sleep, her body exhausted from crying. Her dreams were of finding her father in the river, dead.

-----

Midna felt herself come to her senses. The room was lit with only one lantern, it was dark out, and Midna remembered in a haze that she hadn't fallen asleep the way that she was now awake. Midna felt the sheets now covering her and blinked to try and dissolve the blur from her eyes. She heard the squeak of wood and turned to see her mother in a rocking chair, sitting by the bed and holding a cup of tea. Illia looked at her and tried to smile, brushing her hand over Midna's swollen cheek affectionately. Midna turned away from her slightly, feeling awkward and fearful.

"What do you want?" Midna stated coldly.

Illia looked at her and then looked up in thought. "I don't know anymore..."

Midna felt anger well up in her as Illia sat there.

"Mom..." Midna started.

"Midna... did your father ever mention who we named you after?"

Midna looked at her flatly. "No..."

Illia lowered her eyes and sat still, and the silence continued.

Midna felt her anger swell. "What's dad trying to do?"

Illia's eyes widened and she looked at Midna, and faked a smile. "Honey... I don't... I don't know who she was either, this other girl, he never talked about her with me no matter how much I asked. He never told much about those months he'd spent on his adventuring. I have a hard time remembering some things, even now. So... maybe he did tell me... maybe my memory has always been bad..." Mida watched her mother as hshe paused.

"He's changed so much these last years... it used to be so different... so much better."

Midna was getting tired of her mothers babble. "Mom... I need to know what he's trying to do..."

Illia thought for a long while, sipping her tea. "I'm sorry honey, I really don't know," Illia sighed, and Midna saw her face contort into a painful expression. "But... I wanted to apologize for hitting you, it was horrible of me, and I'm angry that your father's gone... I'm angry at myself for not stopping him... I'm a coward..."

"Mom, I'm not going to die... dad isn't going to die..."

Illia looked at her again. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Tomorrow..." Midna whispered. Her mothers eyes glistened with tears and she rubbed them away quickly, trying to force herself to smile.

"I'm sorry..." Illia said.

Midna shrugged listlessly. "You did your best..."

Illia looked at the lantern for a second and sniffled. There was a sweet silence that fell over them, and Midna realized how much she loved her mother, and wished that her father was with them right now, playing, laughing, and telling them stories.

"I miss him..." Illia sighed.

"Me too..." Midna whispered. They both gazed at the oil lantern as it glowed. Illia softly ran a hand over Midna's forehead and cheek, then put down her tea and grabbed a washcloth she had sitting on the bedside table. Illia blotted Midna's cheek with the warm cloth, making her wince.

"Whatever you and Rykan need tomorrow... I'll do my best to provide," Midna's heart thumped uncomfortably.

"Mom Rykan isn't..."

"It's okay... I heard him announce it, and I'm okay with it, really." Illia said. She leaned over to kiss Midna's forehead, and Midna closed her eyes as her mother blew out the lantern light and went to exit the room.

"Come home safe... please." Illia cooed. The door closed with a soft click.

-----

A cold dry mist, it was the warning of a hard winter to come, the fall leaves crunched as Illia walked with Midna and Rykan to the ranch on the other side of Ordon. The ranch master, who Midna couldn't remember the name of was there to greet them at the gate. Everyone was wrapped in knitted clothing and cloaks. Rykan squeezed his mothers hand.

"Morning miss Illia."

"Good morning."

"Is it true this little Midna is heading out to find Master Link?"

Illia nodded. Midna felt her stomach churn, that flat statement felt so weird to hear.

The ranch owner eyed her coldly, then smiled and gestured from them to follow him. He walked to the barn; tied to a post on the outside was a large clydesdale that Midna had often seen roaming the village, she didn't know that he was the owner.

"This is Sai. He's a working horse, easy to ride, gentle. I think he fits the bill for you."

"Thank you very much Tarus."

"Pleasure m'lady! I just hope your daughter can rope Link back from wherever he is now."

Illia turned to look down at her daughter. "I have faith in her."

"Three thousand it is then."

Midna's eyes widened. "What? Your buying the horse!?"

Illia paused to look down at her. "I'm buying the horse and the provisions that you'll need for weeks in the wild, I don't want to take any chances."

Rykan was clinging to his mothers arm. "Midna, suck it up!" Rykan barked. Midna started at her brother, his expression was hard to look at. Pause. Midna nodded absently to her mother and watched her hand over the money. The ranch owner smirked.

"Thank ya kindly!" He bowed.

Sai was saddled, bags of provisions and supplies were strapped into his side bags and harness. Midna was legged up the side of him, Rykan behind her. Midna felt her hands shake and she remembered suddenly that the horse figurine that Colin had given her the other day was still in the pocket of her pants. She felt the smooth figurine and the words her father had chanted to her the day that he left came rushing back and she felt her shoulders relax and her grip on the reigns tighten in confidence.

Illia grabbed her afghan as she stood looking up at both of them on the horse. A dry wind flowed through her now graying hair. She smiled. "Come home safe..." Illia said. Midna turned towards her mother and felt the tears come to her, her heart telling her not to leave her, warning her that she might in fact, never see her again. Rykan clung to her waist and rested his head on her back.

"Let's go." Rykan whispered. Midna kicked her heels into the horses side and Sai began to walk and then canter towards the exit of the ranch. He raced through the village at a fast run, Midna's stomach hurt as she watched it fly by, soon the house was gone and the Faron forest was all around them. Midna slowed down. The forest was quiet, she heard the vague chattering of birds, a morning dove cooed in the distance.

"Great... so... what's our first clue?" Rykan murmured.

Midna took in a deep breath. "Let's get into a clear spot and take a look at the journal."

"What journal?"

"Dad's diary, it's the secret I mentioned, I found it in the well."

"Oh... right. Wait, what?"

"I'll explain later."

Midna started Sai into a slow walk. she watched as wind gusted through the trees and swirled brightly colored leafs around them. Sai snorted, and Midna took a small delight in seeing her own breath. She clutched the cloak tighter around herself with her numbed, gloved hands.

"Hey Rykan, why do you think dad's been so distant lately?"

Midna could feel him shrug. "Maybe he hates you."

Midna elbowed him.

"Ow! Goddess, I was kidding!"

"I think it's because he misses a friend."

"That's a dumb reason to abandon your family." Rykan huffed.

"Yeah..."

-----

The Faron forest parted and Midna stopped Sai. Rykan stared out into the breadth of Hyrule field, Midna had never imagined it would be so huge. Short yellowed grass waved before them in the sparse wind, and naked trees were twisted and clumped in odd places in the distance. There was a cold wind, it was overcast and much colder here.

"Wow." Rykan whispered. Midna urged Sai forward with a quick kick and the horse began to walk into the open area. A roll of icy mist past by them every now and again as they tread forward along the worn trading path. Midna and Rykan had both decided that the best place to look would by the city surrounding Hyrule castle itself, if not for there father, then for clues to where he may have gone.

The hanging mist grew thicker steadily into the midmorning, it began to drizzle. Rykan and Midna both dawned their cloak hoods and Rykans grip around Midna's waist slowly loosened as they went further along the trail.

"Can I see that journal?" Rykan asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Midna fumbled with one of the side bags and handed her brother the journal, which was wrapped in a thick envelope of deer skin. Rykan took the journal, a scowl passed over his face as he stared at it. Midna watched him over her shoulder for a while, and then turned back to urging Sai forward.

She hadn't realized it, but her hands were trembling and her heart was beating very fast. '_C'mon... i can do this'_ Midna thought. She kicked Sai a bit harder and snapped the reigns. Rykan made a weird yelping noise as he clung to his sister again, Sai bolting forward down the muddy trail. The wind and the cold rain was in Midna's eyes and ears, but instead of panicking, she found herself smiling, even laughing into the embrace of the wind.

"You're nuts!" Rykan squeaked, clutching her tighter.

"You can't conquer your fears without facing them!" Midna shouted, howling into the wind with joy as Sai rocketing forward. There was a clash of thunder overhead. Midna turned to catch the flash of lighting sparking between clouds.

Rykan was staring at the sky in astonishment. Midna kicked Sai once more and the horse gave a brief burst of speed before they started to slow down, Midna could feel the hot sweat coming off of Sai's hide. and could hear his labored breathing. Midna wasn't surprised that he wasn't used to galloping long distances, he was no race horse, but he was easy to ride, and strong.

She slowed him down to a walk again in a steady decline of speed. The rain really began to come down, and the sky had darkened with thick rain clouds. There were more claps of thunder and streaking lightning.

"I think we should get off the trail..." Rykan yelled through the onslaught of rain.

"Yeah!" Midna yelled back. The wind picked up and the rain was now causing there visibility to dim greatly. Midna was also starting to get very cold.

There was a shady outcropping in front of them, a number of larger tress were visible, some still with there leaves sprouting in a row along the center of the hill. Midna had to get her legs to stop quivering before she could dismount Sai. She found herself dizzy and tired and tense as she walked him towards the tree she thought looked like there best pick for shelter. Rykan had already sat down underneath the tree and was intensely reading the journal.

Midna took a deep breath, unpacking a parcel with some sandwiches Illia had prepared for them. She sat down next to her brother and handed him one. Midna's hands were still shaking as she ate her sandwich, but eventually the shaking stopped and she was able to relax.

"Found anything interesting?" Midna asked, not looking at her brother.

"No... I can't make out most of dad's writing." Pause. "Who's the ... twilight princess? This other Midna?"

Midna shrugged. "Dunno. Must be important if I'm named after her."

"I don't get it..." Rykan sighed. He closed the journal. "This is all backwards, two kids going out to find there dad because he's lost... shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Midna nodded.

"Hey Rykan?"

"What?"

"Are you afraid that dad's... you know, dead?"

Rykan was staring at her weirdly. "No... why?"

"Because... eh, never mind."

Rykan looked at her intensely some more, but Midna tried her best to ignore him. There was a black feeling in the pit of her stomach, one line from his writing, something Rykan may not have been able to read kept cropping up:

"_It's so hard, it feels wrong that I should be alive."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Love of the Daughter**

**Chapter 3**

Midna grabbed her cloak, the temperature had dropped considerably. A steady stream of rain was still present and she could make out the lights of Hyrule castles southern entrance. The day had been uneventful and quiet. Midna's legs were sour from riding, she felt like she could sleep for days. Rykan was holding one of the oil lanterns they had taken with them, and nervously humming to himself in a hoarse, chattering voice.

Rykan had said a couple times that he had seen eyes looking at them from the tops of some of the hills or cliffs they had passed. Midna told him, annoyed, that it was just his imagination.

"We're almost there."

"Thank Din..." Rykan sneered. "I'm really hungry."

"Me too..." Midna said, taking a deep breath.

As Sai walked steadily over the bridge leading into the castle, Rykan clutched to her again.

"There, see them?! There! Right there!" Rykan was pointing vigorously to the east. Midna turned to look at what she thought he was pointing at, tugging back slightly on Sai's reigns to stop his walk.

"Rykan.. I don't see..." There was a shift, a shadow slithered between two trees, and Midna and Rykan fell silent. Rykan swallowed, his mouth hanging open slightly as he turned to Midna.

"What do you think they are?" Rykan asked, whispering.

"Animals... probably deer or something." Midna said flatly, trying to mask the nervousness in her tone. Rykan frowned.

"But their eyes shine red..." Rykan exclaimed, slightly disheartened.

"Whatever... get off, we're here."

Rykan dismounted with Midna's help. She took Sai's reigns, leading him towards the gate. There was a guard stationed outside, sitting in a chair and smoking a long pipe, a spear resting next to him against the stone wall. He glanced up at them as they went inside. He was lucky enough to be sheltered from the rain by the awning of the gate.

"You can tether your horse up at Telma's Bar. Here's the address." He said, handing them a folded piece of parchment. Midna bowed, thanking him. They strode into the quiet city, Midna felt nervous. There was almost no one on the road, some people walked or ran between building or down the street. Midna was a bit astonished on how humble the buildings made her feel, she wasn't sure if it was a good feeling yet or not. Rykan was walking very closely behind her.

"You're not allowed to drink." Rykan said.

"Neither are you, quit whining... this person, Telma, might have a spare room."

"... mom didn't give us that much money." Rykan pointed out.

"Rykan, shut up, I've got it figured out."

Rykan shrugged. "If they don't have enough room, you're sleeping in the mud."

Midna instinctively hit her brother.

"Ow! Goddess, it was a _joke_!"

Midna ignored him and kept walking. A small group of children ran past them, laughing. Midna spied an old woman huddled against the wall, a sign out indicating she was homeless and hungry. The lamp lights above the street flickered and swung in the dying wind, the rain still beat the paved path. A stream of storm water was sucked into the cities sewer system as Midna watched. Sai snorted. There was a smell of hot tea on the wind for a second. Midna slipped slightly on the wet cobble stones as they walked.

Rykan was fiddling with the address papers. "It's this way!" Rykan pointed, walking forward slowly and grabbing her arm. They turned into a dark alleyway, a small stair case lead down to a patio surrounded by tall buildings. Midna watched intently as the lamp to their right swiveled and creaked in it's restraint, causing what little light there was the shift. There was a vague sound of fiddle music, someone was laughing, and the smell of hot tea, as well as alcohol was getting stronger.

Midna tugged Sai down the stairs, his steamed breath was unpleasant on her drenched face. Rykan was standing and staring at something to the east again. He had his lantern raised, and his face had almost turned white.

"Rykan?" Midna inquired.

Rykan weakly pointed in the direction he was staring, Midna looked, and saw nothing but the rooftops of buildings.

"What now?" Midna asked.

Rykan turned towards her, a look of sheer terror on his face. Midna felt a cold chill across her skin. Rykan lunged for her and Midna screamed as he made a loud noise. Then he just started to laugh, clutching her arms. Midna took a deep breath and shoved him off, still laughing.

"Don't do that!" Midna whined.

"You react so funny though! I can't help myself."

Midna blushed in annoyance. There was a distant flash and a clap of thunder. She stared at her brother, who slowly turned to look at her, his amused expression gone.

"Can we get inside now?" Rykans voice had turned flat.

"Yeah... c'mon." She grasped Rykan's wrist and dragged him towards the sheltered bar door. The music was getting very loud. Rykan was nestled under one of her arms, holding the lantern. Midna pried the door open and was met with the face of a very tall, large, and boisterous woman who was staring down at them cooly, her face wrinkled and covered in flattering make up.

"Well hello there youngsters, what can I do you for?" She cooed, smiling, and putting down the pitchers of ale she was lugging around in both hands.

"We were wondering if... if this is Telma's bar?"

"Yes little miss."

"Do you happen to have a spare room, and a stall for our mount?"

The old woman raised an eyebrow. "Honey, you don't have to sweet talk this hag, of course I do, you're as welcome here as anyone... where are your parents?"

"We're traveling alone ma'am," Midna exclaimed.

The old woman was silent for a long time, her eyes traveled to look down on Rykan, who seemed confused and was shivering from the cold. She frowned slightly, then looked back at Midna, her gaze had a strange look to it, she cleared her throat, smiled, and put a gentle hand on Midna's shoulder. "Come on in, dove."

Midna smiled back. "I didn't get your name."

The woman's eyes widened, and she burst out laughing. "Why, me gally, I'm Telma, who else?" Midna twitched, embarrassed as she was roped inside. "My boys will take care of your horse, don't worry about him. Can I get you poor children something to eat?"

Rykan made a whining sound, squinting painfully. Telma laughed and gave him an amused, warm smile. "I'll take that as a definitely!"

Midna and Rykan watched the other customers as they turned to look at the two kids who'd just wandered in. There were mostly Hylian here, but Midna felt a strange fear when she saw a few Zora, and Goron spread around, talking with various people. She'd never seen them up close before, only through stories her father had told her. Gorons had briefly made a visit to the village when she was young, to visit her father, but she barely remembered that time.

"You darlings just sit yourselves down, I'll be right back." Telma smiled. Midna nervously walked towards one of the corner tables and Rykan followed, he seemed just as interested in the Zora and Gorons as she was. Midna suddenly felt very uneasy, ignorant.

"They're cool looking." Rykan said, his eyes wandering to three Zora that were sitting and talking amongst themselves some few feet away. One of them met her gaze with it's large green eyes and smiled faintly, Midna flicked her eyes away, confused. The Zora was male, that much she could tell, and was well built, she deduced. He had a long elegant nose and his smooth scaled skin shone strange sea shell colors in the light; it was pretty. Midna half listened as he turned to one of his companions and spoke in a melodic, breathy language she didn't understand. His friends turned to look at them briefly before resuming there conversation. It made Midna nervous.

Midna eyed the kitchen door that Telma had left through a couple minutes before hand, hoping that she would come back soon. A couple of large, scary looking Hylian men from the bar had been turning to look at them curiously. She could tell that a couple of then were wanderers, mercenaries maybe, a few had some fresh wounds over there backs and arms that were bandaged. Midna's eyes drooped, the bar had a strange smell, like lvander incense and smoke and grease, but it wasn't a bad smell, and it was making her sleepy.

Telma sauntered back out into the area, carrying two plates of greasy, steaming food. Midna felt her stomach cave in hunger as the plate was set in front of her, the other in front of Rykan. Telma grabbed one of the two remaining chairs around there table and sat down and smiled at them. "The food is on me kids!" Telma said. Midna raised her eyebrows.

"No, please, we can pa..."

Telma shook her head, cutting her off. "My dear, you're soaked and hungry, and we have plenty to spare, don't worry yourself over it," Telma's eyes flicked to Rykan when she finished saying this. Rykan was wolfing down his food and she gave a deep chuckle. "Boy, you're going to give yourself a bad digestion problem if you keep eating like that."

"Hmm?" Rykan said, a piece of potato sticking out from his mouth, he had sauce on his chin. Telma shook her head.

"Never mind."

Rykan continued eating vigorously. Midna looked back at Telma. She had long, loudly died red hair that was dread locked and spiraled into a bun on the back of her head, a hint of gray peaked out from her roots. She wore a similarly loudly colored green and goldenrod dress that was low cut. Midna noticed tattoos under either eye, a dot of red purple and blue. If Midna could describe her as anything, it would definitely be colorful.

"If you don't mind my asking, little miss, what _are_you children doing out here? You seem a long ways from home."

Midna froze at this statement, not sure what to tell this woman. Telma was fixing her with a curios, calculating look, she seemed to be thinking something, Midna noticed that she kept looking at Rykan with some strange expression. Telma leaned forward on the table and looked Midna in the eye as she was silent.

"Let me guess..." Telma smiled. "You're looking for your father."

Midna dropped her fork and Rykan nearly choked on his food.

"I guessed right." Telma said, her sneaky smile widening.

Midna frowned. "How do you know that?" She said in a low voice.

Telma looked at Rykan. "I can tell, your brother is the spitting image of his dad. Your father and I go way back, we're old friends."

Rykan looked annoyed and stabbed a piece of potato with his fork. "Great..." he said in a dreary voice. Telma raised an eyebrow.

"You don't sound happy about it," She stated, scratching her chin.

"He's missing," Rykan stated, gritting his teeth a little.

"Oh yes... everyone knows... it's the gossip of the town," Telma said cooly.

Midna felt a surge of anger tense in her throat at how airily she said this, as if it was normal. Telma looked at Midna and searched her face, her own going into an unreadable expression. "I assume you're Midna, correct? And your brother here is Rykan?"

Midna nodded. Telma smiled. "I'm honored, I've heard a lot about you two."

Rykan stopped eating again for a second and grumbled something, then continued eating.

Midna chewed on her bottom lip. "Has he been here recently... within the last couple of days?"

Telma rested her chin in one hand. "I'm afraid not, he didn't stop by this time around."

"Do you know who we could talk to about this who might actually know?" Midna pressed.

Telma's eyes wandered away and she frowned a bit as she thought. She turned to look at Midna again. "I assume you're not affiliated with the castle guards search parties that are trying to do the same thing?" She said.

Midna nodded.

Telma sighed. "You could ask Queen Zelda... the last thing I heard he'd gone to visit her before he promptly decided to disappear."

Midna felt her chest tighten. _Ask the Queen?! What kind of weird suggestion was that? _Midna stumbled a bit with her food as she took a bit. "I thought that... that the Queen and dad didn't speak anymore."

Telma looked complacent. "They didn't for a long time, no. I don't know the whole story but the two of them got into a heated argument during a large meeting over something no one else really understood, it left with your dad storming out of the castle. He never told me why exactly, just that it happened."

Midna felt a little fearful, but curious. Telma continued talking. "Apparently after that Zelda renounced him as one of her consultants and he was grateful, saying he never wanted to speak with her again."

"We heard that part years ago," Rykan mentioned.

"Yeah..." Midna echoed, her eyes flicking to her food.

Telma was strangely silent for a moment, she seemed to be thinking. "You kids tell me when you want to go to bed and I'll have someone put a room together for you."

Midna nodded.

Telma continued her speech. "One of my customers tonight is one of the Captains of the Guard, I'll tell him you want to meet with the Queen sometime tomorrow. Sound good?" Telma smiled.

Midna blinked. "Umm... sure... than... thank you."

Telma patted her hand before standing up. "Don't worry about it."

She walked back to the kitchen and disappeared inside. Midna felt herself sink into her chair; unaware that she'd been so tense the entire time. She noticed that a group of young men were looking at her from a table in the opposite corner. They wear dressed in armor and had swords strapped to there hips. They looked like young castle gaurd.

Midna felt a cold chill for some reason. They were all Hylian boys, one of them was particularly attractive. Midna met his eyes briefly and he smiled at her in a seductive manner, taking a sip of water. He had short black hair and dark eyes against pale skin. Midna frowned and looked away, feeling uneasy. She continued eating.

-----

Midna lay staring up at the ceiling of their small room. Rykan's even, deep breathing reassuring her that he had fallen asleep in the bed next to her. She could still hear the sounds of the Bar below them, fiddle music and the muffled stings of conversation. She turned to stare out the window, the rain was making drizzled webbed lines across the glass. Midna swung her feet over the bed and carefully walked towards the small table by the window, where they had set down there belongings. The moonlight cast a faint furrow of light across the ground.

The journal was on her mind. Midna sat staring down at it as she removed it from it's hidden case. The faint lights from outside fluttered across it's metallic binding and cover, sparkling silver and gold. Midna felt a pang of fear, nausea. She felt like she shouldn't have even found this, that it wasn't meant to be found.

She tensed as she heard muffled noises and footsteps in the hallway, and closed the cover as she began to tilt it open. They were both male.

"Lanthar... that's impossible? There regiments were slaughtered in the south not two weeks ago, how could we be losing this war?"

"Hyrule is weak from twenty years ago... the castle is still being rebuilt as we speak. I don't understand why you couldn't have seen this coming Thanial." The other voice said, sounding much older and deeper. Midna walked quietly closer to the door.

"What are they doing to correct this, sleeping on the job? As captain of the..."

"You're junior to master Georg, don't suggest yourself as being above him!" Midna jumped at the harsh tone of voice.

"I have authority, Khir! I want my regiment except the few men I have here tonight sent to the south, we'll wipe them out in an all out assault."

"And risk leaving the palace unguarded? Zelda will exile you before you can conspire such madness, sir!"

"The Queen won't have to know... not if it's done tonight. You're under my orders, so head out as soon as possible!"

Midna's stomach tightened as she heard a grunt, and the track of heavier footsteps leading off down the hall. Silence except for the pattering rain. Then the other set of footsteps faded off in the opposite direction. Midna suddenly realized that Rykan was sitting up in bed, staring at her and the door, and looking suspicious.

"The war is getting pretty bad... isn't it?" He mumbled.

Midna turned towards him, embarrassed at herself and surprised that he'd been awoken by the arguing. "I guess... maybe... maybe we should leave tonight, skip out on talking with Zelda," Midna said, a lump developing in her throat.

Rykan shook his head. "We don't have any leads... unless you want to go back home, or just wander around out in the wilderness." He turned to look at the window. "Dad said it's dangerous to just wander around... that there are bandits and creatures outside..." There was a tense silence. In truth, Midna _did_ feel suddenly like she just wanted to go home and wait, wait for there father to eventually wander back from wherever he'd snuck off to. But she knew that that would have been a stupid, childish choice, and she didn't want to feel like a child anymore. Especially not now.

"No, it's fine, we'll talk with her tomorrow..." Midna said, moving to sit next to him on his bed. Rykan leaned into her a bit and Midna sighed. "I'm sorry Rykan, I thought that we'd find something out by now."

Rykan moved away to look at her. "Sis, don't worry so much, we'll find dad." He said frankly, scooting back into his covers. Midna looked at her brother and they stared at each other for a long moment. Rykan frowned. "What?" He asked. Midna flung herself on him and tickled his sides, sending him into brief jolts laughter, kicking his legs before he socked her in the arm and she let him go, roughly tussling his messy, sandy blond hair.

"Go to sleep, idiot!" Rykan said, looking annoyed and rolling over, a cowlick of hair sticking up in the back. Midna snorted in subdued laughter at his new hairstyle before crawling back into her own bed and turning to stare at the journal. She guessed it would just have to wait until tomorrow. Midna closed her eyes, pulling the covers over her head.

------------------------------

**AN:** The next update might not be up for a while, since school has gotten pretty bad. I had this chapter half written when the other two were first posted. Just a heads up! School work on Arts takes dominance over fanfiction. Is sad... ;; damn you college!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Love of the Daughter**

**Chapter 4**

Midna was awoken in a start. The tavern shook and a glass rolled off of her night stand, shattering on the floor. Midna's heart raced, she looked over to see her brother, but he wasn't in bed, in fact, he wasn't even in the room.

Midna stumbled over her bed, her legs still weak from sleep as she hurried to stand. She could hear shouting outside. There was a loud whistling sound and Midna ran to her window and looked down. She felt gripping nausea hit her as she witnessed a young woman being gutted, her entrails and blood stained the street. Midna covered her mouth, her stomach heaved. The soldier who had done the act was unfamiliar; his armor red and golden, a plum of green bristles ran down in rows on his helmet. The whistling got much louder and Midna watched in terror as a large flaming projectile tore through the roof of the house next to her, steaming in the still pouring rain as it flung flaming wood and brick everywhere. The tremor shook Midna's from her grip on the window sill. People were scattering below her as they poured out from inside the building, screaming. Midna closed her eyes as she saw more foreign soldiers running forward, someone screamed as a sword was plunged into their chest. She realized she was shaking and her heart was thumping painfully against her chest, Midna turned away from the window.

"Rykan!" Midna shrieked as she ran towards the door. It burst opened to reveal Telma, looking spooked and serious.

"Your brother's fine." Telma said as she hurried into the room. "Get your stuff missy, I'm having a few friends get you kids out of here!"

"What's going on?" Midna said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"We're being invaded. The Lantharian army is already here."

Midna felt her knees almost give out in fear. She could die, she could easily by dead in a few moments if she continued to stay here. "Where's Rykan?" Midna choked, gripping for the wall. Telma turned towards her, her saddle bags on hand. She grabbed Midna's wrist firmly and pulled her through the door.

"Rykan!" Midna screamed. 

"I'm here!" Rykan shouted. Midna's head shot behind her as Rykan was running down the hallway. She was too overjoyed to see him that she stumbled and gripped him in a one armed hug. His small, lanky, thirteen year old frame was fitted with a strange outfit; armor. He had a short sword strapped to one hip. 

"Thank Din!" Midna said, visibly relaxing. There was another loud crash and the bar shook violently, sending everyone against the walls or floor. Midna clutched her arm, and noticed it was bruising, but she managed to stand up; helping her brother to his feet. He spit a wad of blood from his mouth and wiped his lip..

There was a rough tug on Midna's arm as Telma dragged both of them towards the stairs in a brisk walk. Midna heard screams outside and felt herself almost freeze. She gripped Rykan's wrist tightly and felt him grip her back. Telma paraded quickly down the stairs and Midna noticed that the bar was strangely empty. She also noticed that a great number of pieces of furniture were stacked up against the bar door. Midna heard a loud pounding beyond the door and the shouting of men's voices. She didn't recognize the language, but it made her jump.

"Thanial! Khir!" Telma said loudly. Midna's head whipped around, recognizing the names. Two men she hadn't noticed were standing in the middle of the room. One of them, Midna recognized as the young man who'd eyed her last night. He couldn't have been older then seventeen. He saluted Telma as he sat there at attention. The man beside her was very tall, large and had a great long beard of fiery red hair. His eyes were deep set and dark brown and he seemed to naturally wear a very severe expression. There was a long scar that traced from his forehead down one cheek.

"Ma'am?" The older one said.

Telma turned towards him. "Khir, these children are Master Link's, and you need to get them out of the city. Please!"

"Our orders were to stay and guard your establishment. I'm afraid..."

"I'm giving you orders to get the hell out of here and protect these children! These are the Hero's children! Do you want to be responsible in explaining to him when he returns that his kids are dead?" Telma shouted, stamping one foot. Khir and Thanial flinched visibly.

Midna noticed that there were about five other soldiers that were packing things up behind them. They all stopped briefly to watch the scene. She noticed Thanial looking at her, he looked confused. 

Thanial's eyes flicked away from Midna and he frowned, raising his head slightly. "We'll do it!" Khir turned to look at him in distress as he spoke, then turned to look at Midna and Rykan. His gaze softened and he sighed. 

"Yes... fine." Khir said.

Before Midna could stabilize herself, Telma's rough hands pushed Rykan towards them. She then grabbed Midna's wrist and twirled her to look Telma in the eye. "Midna, your father told me to give this to you if he was ever missing for more then four days..." Telma's eyes were so intense and steely that is scared her. Midna saw her dig one hand into her pocket and pull out a small satchel, and rest it in Midna's hand. 

"Telma, what's going to happen to you?" Midna said, her shaking fingers closing around the satchel. Telma smiled faintly, and then wrapped Midna into a tight hug. 

"Child, I'll be fine. Don't worry your pretty head over me." She let Midna go and then shoved her towards Thanial, who caught one of her arms and steadied her before she could fall down.

"Take them through the sewer, I had one of the Gorons take your horse to a safe spot outside the city. Get them as far away from here as possible." Telma ordered as she walked behind her bar. Telma returned with a large crossbow, and slid an arrow into in. There was another loud pound at the door and the tavern shook.

Telma turned towards them as everyone stared. "Get out of here!" Telma screamed, pounding one of her fists against the bar. Midna was tugged painfully around and walked towards the end of the bar and through a small veil of curtains. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Telma and a large Goron, who had appeared at the stairs were gearing themselves up. The Goron wore armored plates across it's body and head, and had a pair of spiked knuckles. He pounded his fists together and grunted. Telma cocked her crossbow and aimed towards the door. Midna felt her body go cold as she realized she might never see them again.

Midna was shoved forward through a narrow entrance that had opened up by one of the tables. She looked to see Thanial behind her, he was focusing straight forward and looking scared and serious. Midna focused her attention in front as they were enveloped by quiet. Khir lit a torch as they walked. No one said anything, and time passed.

Soon Midna could feel cold water around her ankles and shuddered, looking down into the dark water, she wished she was home. Rykan was in front of her, one hand was resting on his sword and the other ran along the wall; feeling the cold stacked stone. Midna flinched again as the passage shook from an impact above them, she could barely make out a few voices. Someone above them on the road was screaming. A tendril of dust was shaken from one of the walls and Midna blinked, wiping it from her face and eyes.

Midna felt Thanial's hand grasp her shoulder and push her forward gently. She tensed at his foreign grip and shouldered off his hand; continuing to walk, this time a little faster. Khir turned to look at Thanial, his face was darkened in anger. 

"I can't believe we're fleeing the city... when the Queen needs us the most." His voice was throaty, venomous. Thanial gave a low grunt, continuing his walk.

"Shut up and keep walking." Thanial growled. 

Khir turned and did as instructed. Midna felt that weird, cold chill come over her again. She turned curiously to look at Thanial. He was looking down at her with a cold expression, and smiled a little, but there was something strange about his look. "We'll protect you, I promise." He said, showing perfect teeth. Midna frowned and turned away, some how is didn't comfort her when he said it, and she didn't know why.

-----

As they walked the sounds above them became fainter. Midna was holding one of Rykan's hands, and Rykan had taken out his sword into the other hand. The passage suddenly widened and dipped into a larger sewer system. Midna felt her chest tighten. There were a few lit torches down here and the sounds of gushing water and the smell of mildew was overpowering. Midna scrunched her nose.

"It smells awful." She said quietly. Rykan turned to look at her.

"Like you!"

Midna kicked him, frowning. "Ow!" Rykan whined.

"Quiet!" Khir said, his teeth gritted. "The enemy might be down here, so we must be as silent as possible, understand?" Midna and Rykan both stiffened and they continued walking in silence, eyes shifted to the ground. Khir turned away, holding his torch up. It cast a vague halo against the rotting ceiling and walls. A rat scurried by Midna's foot and she tensed, but forced herself not to make a noise. 

Midna suddenly remembered that she was still clutching the satchel that Telma had given her, and that she didn't even know what was inside. Midna brought it in front of her, gripping the object, it was cool, and spherical against the leather holding it. Midna quietly undid the pull-string as they walked and plopped the sphere into her right hand. It sparkled turquoise in the orange light. 

Midna's eyes widened as her hand instantly began to feel warmer. She tilted it a little in the light. There were strings of strange, looping letters carved deeply into it. The strings of symbols formed lines around it in rings. Midna looked to see that Rykan was looking at it over his shoulder with a look of awe. His jaw open slightly. The two met eyes briefly and then Midna rolled the sphere back into the satchel, tightened the pull-string and pocketing it quietly. She didn't want anyone else to know they possessed such an interesting treasure. 

As Midna pulled her hand away she noticed that the tingle was still there, but it gradually faded. They continued to march for what felt like hours, and no one said a word. Khir was weaving them through passageways and up a flight of old, slick stairs. There was a hint of daylight in the passage now, Midna was sure. It was becoming stronger as they walked down this new, wide hall. Quiet. She squinted, seeing an exit up ahead. Rykan squeezed her hand a little and Midna returned the gesture, feeling herself relax more.

The passage opened into the afternoon haze and eerie, quiet fog. It was overcast and the ground was slick with mud. It was misting and uncomfortable. Midna looked back to see Thanial and the other four young mean exit behind them; weapons drawn and looking around wearily. 

Midna looked into the fog, she could barely make out the contours of the land more then a few meters ahead. They were in Hyrule field, but had no idea what direction that were facing. Khir turned as Thanial brushed past Midna and hit his arm roughly. "Don't ever stand up to me like that again in front of perfect strangers, idiot!" Thanial hissed. Khir sneered.

Thanial turned and raised one hand. "All right, spread out and search for the horses." Thanial announced. Khir looked over at Midna and Rykan, who had instinctively huddled next to each other. Midna swallowed, and realized that she was shaking a little, unsure of what to do. Khir backed up and kept himself close to them, he briefly turned to Thanial. 

"I'll stay with them." Khir announced. Thanial eyed him, shrugged and then walked forward into the fog. The group of four other young men followed him. Midna felt herself relax as he disappeared and they were left with the large red haired giant. Khir walked to one of the large rocks by them and sat down, sheathing his sword. He looked sad.

Midna felt compelled to say something. "Khir? Where are we going... when they find the horses?"

Khir shook his head. "Little miss, I apologize for this in advance." He said softly. Midna felt herself relax, but her chest tightened, he looked at her with brown eyes, full of sympathy. "He wants to infiltrate a Lantharian base in the east, and burn it to the ground." Khir slumped forward a bit in his seat.

Midna nodded. "Oh..." Her stomach squirmed. 

Rykan walked towards him. "Khir... you seem so much smarter then that other guy, why aren't you in charge?"

Khir frowned. "Because Thanial is General Georg's son..."

Rykan chuckled and Khir shifted to look at him. "He doesn't seem like a nice guy... I like you better." Rykan sat down next to Khir and the robust man sighed a deep throaty sigh, he looked at Midna and the two paused to look at each other for a moment. Khir's mouth quirked into a slight smile.

"Missy, we'd best be getting you some armor, like your brother. Those clothes won't do if we get attacked." 

Midna felt herself smile a bit at his concern. "Sure." She replied, her voice low, she walked to sit on the other side of the middle aged soldier. Khir shifted a little. "I'm honored to escort you young ones, your father is a great warrior and someone I admire." He coughed. "I'm so sorry that he's missing, it must be dreadful for Illia and you two." There was a tense pause. "I don't know how much help I can be, but if you need it, don't hesitate to ask."

Midna felt a wave of anger sputter out of her at the mention of her father, but she kept quiet and the three just sat there, waiting. 

"Thanks..." Midna said, feeling truly grateful for his concerned, kind words. A cool wind blew over them, and Midna looked up as she heard the distinct clatter of horse feet approaching them. The five mounted knights appeared at a canter out of the fog, ghostly and strange. Sai was in tow behind them on a line, as well as Khir's armored steed.

-----

The party rode quietly through the fog. Midna and Rykan were sandwiched between two war horses on Sai. Thanial was out in front, while Khir took up the rear. Rykan clung to her as they walked. Both were wearing their heavy cloaks as the mist turned into little drizzle, thinning in and out as they moved. The day had dragged on and it was starting to get dark. They had been nervous all day; it seemed that Hyrule field never ended, and that Thanial had no idea where they were. 

Rykan had whispered about seeing shapes in the mist. Midna had to admit to herself that she'd seen them too. But there were no sounds of war cries, no nocked arrows, not even the rumble of horse feet or the chitter of beasts. No war drums, no screaming, nothing. It was pure, dreadful quiet.

"Let's set camp." Thanial said suddenly, slowing his horse to a stop. The white steed flicked it's head, snorting. The rest of the troupe stopped and Midna dismounted. Her legs were trembling a bit as the fear subsided, she was getting more used to riding, but it still made her weak for a while afterwords. She unconsciously squeezed the horse figurine in her pocket as a reminder. Rykan slipped off soon after and the two began to unpack. Midna looked as Thanial approached them, his eyes fixed on her. He smiled widely, bowing a little. 

"Allow me." He said, gesturing to the saddle bags as Midna began to untie them. Midna stepped back a little as she stared at Thanial for a strange second. Thanial went to work unbuckling the bags from the horses sides and patted Sai's whithers. Rykan didn't comply and ignored him, disconnecting his own bag and moving some feet before unpacking it. Midna felt suddenly useless. She looked around, and caught the flickering glances of the other four young men looking at her. She felt a ping of panic for some reason, and suddenly felt uncomfortably aware that she was the only girl here. Normally that wouldn't have bothered her, but right now, it seemed to. Midna jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see that it was Khir's.

"Miss Midna, do you and Rykan need help setting up a tent?"

"What?" Midna blinked, feeling a little dizzy.

Midna noticed Thanial turn from their horse slightly as they exchanged words. She turned to Khir and nodded, and the older man chuckled and patted her back gently with his bear like hand. 

"All right then, follow me," He insisted, walking in the opposite direction, a rolled and bagged leather tent slung over one shoulder. Khir stopped a few feet from one of the other tents and dropped the sack to the ground. Rykan jogged to her side and Midna grunted as he nudged her.

Midna looked down at him, he looked concerned, but didn't say anything at first, just pursed his lips tensely. He searched her face.

"What?" Midna whispered.

"I don't like him..." Rykan said in a whispered voice, looking over his shoulder and gesturing with his head towards Thanial. Thanial had dropped their bags on the ground and wandered off, and was now talking to one of the other younger men. Rykan's face hardened and he looked back up at Midna. "I don't want to say with these people much longer," Rykan said. Midna noticed that Khir had turned one ear subtly to listen to them, but turned back to setting up the tarped tent as soon as Midna eyed him. Midna frowned.

"Okay..." Midna confirmed.

"Mr Khir, do you need any help?" Rykan asked, his voice a normal volume again, his face going back to pretending to be cheerful, childish. If Midna appreciated anything about her brother, it was that he could be a painfully good actor and think on his feet when it mattered most. He was more intelligent then he let on, and knew it.

"Yes lad, can you and your sister set up that side?" Khir said, pointing to the roll of stakes and poles.

Rykan and Midna hurried to set the tent and then settled inside. The evening grew heavy and dark, and the crew made a small fire in the middle of there circle of small tents. It was a foggy night, dreary, with no moon. The fire outside crackled as Rykan turned their oil lantern up slightly. Midna was sprawled on her back and Rykan hunched forward, peering out of the small opening to their shelter.

"You were going to look in Dad's journal again last night, huh?" Rykan said suddenly, he moved to close the final opening to their tent and turned to Midna.

"You were watching me?" Midna frowned.

Rykan shrugged. "You made a lot of noise standing up."

Midna sighed. "Yes, I was. Why does it matter?"

Rykan scooted towards her, looking worried. "I have a bad feeling... don't look at it while we're with these guys..."

"Rykan..." Midna started. Rykan shook his head vigorously.

"Seriously... please."

Midna relaxed. 

"Okay, snot." She said in a low voice. Rykan nervously turned the light on the lamp down more as they heard the rhythm of footsteps coming towards there shelter from the bonfire. They stopped just outside and Rykan hugged his knees. Thanial's gloved hand and face appeared in there doorway. 

"Come out and eat." He said, smiling. Rykan gave him a blank, cold stare and Midna didn't move. He made a strange grunt of annoyance. "If you're not hungry, that's fine too," he said. "But at least come out for a while," Thanial remarked, his gaze was fixed on Midna. Rykan's eyes flicked to her and then back to Thanial. He stood up slowly and purposefully blocked Thanial's view before exiting the tent. Midna sat up soon after him and exited. She felt Thanial offer his hand to her, but she ignored him and just walked to camp on her own.

-----

Thanial and Khir were arguing over the best strategy on how to infiltrate their goal; wiping out a regiment of enemy troops that was rumored to be based by Lake Hylia. The tension in the air was so thick you could practically bite into it. Midna spooned the awful soup into her mouth, forcing herself to eat while ignoring the argument. She wasn't sure when their next meal would be. Rykan was simply not eating, he seemed on edge and was watching the heated conversation with a weary eye.

The argument ended with Thanial retiring early and a strange silence fell over the group. Midna's stomach fluttered in an unpleasant way when she looked up from eating and noticed the steady gazes of the four young men on her again, this time they didn't really look away. One of them gave a weird smile as he chewed a piece of bread. 

Midna stood up and walked back to her tent with the bowl, and Rykan soon followed. She could feel the sick gazes on her as she walked, and it sent another strange prickle up her spine. The next three days ended in similar circumstances. Thanial and Khir's discussions were becoming more and more intense. Thanial even plunged a sword into a tree afterwords violently. It scared Midna half to death. Rykan had clung to her at that time. 

Midna and Rykan decided to sit closer to Khir every night as they ate, and ride next to him in the day. He was the only one not giving her those weird looks all the time. That day was silent, and the tension had grown worse. At any point someone struck up a conversation that was above a whisper, Thanial would scream at them to shut up. Midna's hands tightened against the reigns every time he yelled.

It was evening of the forth day and and Midna sat staring up into the ceiling of their tent.

"Sis?" Came Rykan's whispered voice.

"Yeah."

"I don't like how those guys look at you..."

Midna turned to him, a little embarrassed. "What... what do you mean?" 

Rykan had a concerned, scared expression. "Let's leave tomorrow... I feel sick whenever I'm around anyone but Khir." Midna nodded. She didn't want to think that those looks were something unmentionable. That they were, in fact, lustful. But it was strange, frightening, predatory. Midna liked to think that they were just interested in her because she was weird looking or something. Rykan scooted towards her and stuck a hand down one boot. Midna watched him as he revealed a small dagger.

"I stole this from dad's study before we left. You take it. I all ready have a weapon."

"Rykan... I'll be fine, you're paranoid." Midna scoffed. Rykan's eyes were scared, pleading. He waited for a few moments and then re-sheathed it. His form visibly slumped. "I don't have a good feeling... please just be careful."

"I will... thank you." Midna said, patting his leg with one hand and squeezing his knee. 

"Okay." He said, his eyes flicking away. Rykan rolled back into his bedroll and adjusted himself. "I want to leave tomorrow... okay?"

Midna sighed. "Yeah... let's do that." She sat up and turned down the oil lantern, then took a deep breath and slumped back into bed. Midna closed her eyes and listened. There was a vague wind that ruffled against their tent. But there was also two voices, two familiar voices arguing. Midna thought it was in her head at first and rolled to get into a better position and push out the rogue thoughts.

The voices stopped temporarily, but then Thanial's shouted loudly over the wind and Midna jumped, curling into a fetal position at the angry sounds. There was another shout from Khir. She heard Rykan stir a little.

She couldn't make out what they were talking about because it seemed they had wandered a while away from camp to speak. There were a series of clangs and then silence. Midna heard Rykan stir more, and felt him wiggling into her bedroll beside her. Midna put an arm around him and felt that he was trembling terribly. She tried to push all the awful thoughts of what had just happened from her mind and forced herself to go to sleep. She dreamed of silence, fog, and blood.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: School is finally over so I'll hopefully be working on this more this summer. Warning, implied rape and violence. If you don't want to read, skip over it. :) That's all! Hope it's enjoyed!

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**Love of the Daughter**

**Chapter 5**

There were shouts and Midna's eyes snapped open. Rykan was laying beside her, and stiring out of sleep. There was Thanial's voice and muffled replies. Midna sat up in bed and startled as one of the young men with short blond hair opened the flap of her tent and peered inside. His face was grim, and he grunted at seeing Rykan laying in the bedroll with her.

"Get up, we're heading out." He said coldly, letting the flap of the tent fall. Midna sat staring, she felt her neck prickle uncomfortably. Rykan wiggled out of her bedroll and stood up. The two looked at each other briefly. Midna could recall the memories from last night and her stomach churned. She strained her ears as she tried to listen for Khir's voice as the talking resumed very briefly. She waited, and could only make out the sounds of packing and walking, that was all.

Rykan had started to pack his bedroll and they quickly and efficiently started dragging supplies outside the tent. Midna exited first, the horses were set up in line and the five men sat mounted. Midna's eyes flicked around briefly, Khir wasn't in camp, he wasn't mounted on his horse and Midna could not see him through the thick fog.

"Hurry up, we've got to go!" Thanial's annoyed voice taunted, making Midna flinch and look at him briefly. There was a slight snicker as Midna tripped slightly on one of the ropes as she moved to take the tent down. She shot them a venomous glare and was met with stares and silence again. The soldiers faces were washed out and distant in the rolling mist.

Midna felt her neck prickle again, something was terribly wrong feeling. Neither she nor Rykan said anything to each other and there faces remained blank. Midna's thoughts panicked as a cloud of mist lifted briefly to the south, her eyes flicking to a strange offset of colors against the landscape, and she saw a limp pile under a tree. Auburn, tan, brown, and the red blood; it was everywhere. There was a sword sticking from his chest into the tree he was pinned to. The mist rolled back over the gentle giant and Midna had her answer. She restrained the urge to vomit, or fall to her knees in tears.

Their horse was once again sandwiched between two of the young men as they rode in silence through the vast field. Occasional trees and the contours of the land were revealed to them as they rode and the mist lightened. It rained heavy, icy drops and Midna felt herself tense up, fighting back tears, and trying to stop her shaking hands every time she thought about her father, about home, about Khir.

The day quieted and then the group settled to camp. The mist had lifted by dusk and Midna sat looking down the sheer cliffs into the vast bowl of Lake Hylia below them. She could see the flickering lights of a vast encampment by the waters east side, but it was some fifty miles off and shown as just a faint orange glow over the expanse of the vast reservoir, like a tiny beacon she wanted to flee too. Midna stared at that spot, hoping she wouldn't have to turn around. There was snickering and low voices. Rykan was sitting inside the tent they'd erected and hadn't come out all afternoon.

Midna turned slightly as she heard footsteps. Thanial was approaching her from the camp site. Midna felt her whole body tense. He smiled.

"I've heard a lot about your father... hero of a nation. What an honor to meet his offspring."

Midna glared at him coldly. He leaned against the railing next to her.

"I'd like to hear some stories about him."

Midna flicked her eyes away and didn't say a word. Thanial's face leaned down to try and look at her.

"Oh, too shy, are we?" Midna's skin tensed as she felt fingers brush her arm. "Well that's just fine." Pause. "I'm sure he misses you."

Midna jerked her arm away as his hand tried to grab her wrist. "Leave me alone." Midna hissed. She stared at him and he stared back, then sputtered in laughter.

"Ooh, fiery little bird. I like that."

Midna's heart began to race. The other men were watching as Thanial approached her. Midna didn't realize how much larger he was before now, how imposing, how terrifying. Thanial grabbed her wrist, and it hurt. Midna kicked one of his knees and screamed.

"Leave me alone!" Thanial grunted and grabbed for her hair.

"Now now, you do want this, stop lying to yourself!" Thanial chuckled. Midna felt a hard tug on her scalp and screamed.

"Stop!" Midna heard his amused laughter as she struggled.

"So fiesty." There was a crushing kiss on her cheek.

"Stop it!" Midna crunched her foot into his instep and Thanial howled in pain and his grip on her hair loosened. Midna bolted out of his grip, searching for something, anything she could defend herself with. Her mind was a tangled, terrified blur. "Rykan!" Midna screamed. Midna stumbled as Thanial lunged after her, she tripped but regained her footing and just ran. Rykan was no where to be seen.

Midna ran towards the Lake Hylia bridge. She could hear Thanial's laughter as his footsteps plodded behind her. Midna raced forward, looking desperately for anything she could use as a weapon.

"Don't run my little bird, it's all right, it's just a game!" Midna felt herself tearing up, she felt helpless. Midna dodged as he lunged for her and his nails scrapped her arm, drawing blood. "Stop running, bitch!" Thanial shouted, still laughing. Midna spotted it, a pile of long pieces of wood. She ran towards one, clenched it clumsily and immediately rounded and smacked Thanial in the face with it as he lunged at her. There was a sick crack and Midna watched him grab his now broken nose. She felt suddenly sick as she heard him whimper. His eyes watered.

"You fucking little bitch!" Thanial screamed. She kicked him in the stomach and smacked him again and Thanial was thrown down onto the stone of the bridge, curling into a ball and cradling his now bleeding face.

Midna smacked him again as he attempted to move, hitting his ribs and he cried out in pain, again, again. Midna's hands shook and her heart beat against her rib cage, her breathing was labored, and she was sweating. Midna felt herself heaving with shaking, terrible sobs. Midna dropped the now bloody and dripping piece of wood and began to stumble, fleeing back towards camp. She had to find Rykan. They had to get out of here, now. Midna sprinted as she heard Rykan cry out loudly. She forced herself to ran faster. Midna's feet hit solid dirt again and she bolted towards camp.

Rykan was backing away from the four odd soldiers that had ripped there tent apart. They were all laughing. Midna could hear one of them shouting. "She's the only one we want, you can either leave or we'll kill you, so shut up and listen!" Midna could see that one of the men was holding Rykan around the neck and had him hoisted again his collarbone. "I hate kids." One of them snickered, he punched Rykan and Midna saw him snort blood and fall limp for a second.

"Midna!" Rykan shouted as he struggled and regained consciousness. The blond man punched him in the stomach again, laughed.

"Shut up, twit!"

Midna felt rage fill her and she flung herself into one of the men as they turned, obviously surprised. The boy flew onto the ground, gasping for breath as Midna recoiled. The two others stared at her and watched as she heaved with anger and threw herself onto the man on the ground, punching him in the back of the neck. Midna felt her whole body grow hot as fire. She wanted these evil men to die. Because of what they did to Khir, because of what they were; monsters.

Midna gripped the hilt of the fallen soldiers sword and withdrew it. Midna was surprised as she stood back up, and saw that all of them, even Rykan were staring at her. They looked utterly spooked. Midna stared at the soldier that was holding Rykan, and when he met her gaze, he immediately let go of her brother.

"Demon," one of them whispered. Rykan sat there staring at her, looking utterly frightened. The three men began to back away, The one on the ground was struggling for breath.

"Midna...?" Rykan said softly. The man on the ground whimpered as he looked on her and then scrambled to his feet. Rykan watched the men as they clumsily fled to there horses. Midna was stunned. "Midna... oh, it is you." Rykan said awkwardly. He was looking at her strangely.

"What?" Midna stammered, out of breath.

"You... whoa, that was weird, you looked like a... like a black mass... or something, it was weird." Rykan touched her arm, and Midna noticed he was shaking, his voice wavered. "I thought they killed you." He coughed and heaved forward, Midna caught him as he vomited.

"I'm right here."

Nervous laughter, Rykan began to wipe the blood from his face. "Yeah, I can see that now." Pause. "Cool." Rykan looked up at her, and his eyes glistened in the fire light, his face was still a bloody mess, but he looked better. Midna vaguely registered the clamor of horses now. The young men were now far out of range of her. Midna watched as Rykan's gaze flicked to the pocket of her pants. Midna looked down and could see a strange greenish glow emanating from it. Midna scooped the satchel and gasped in surprise as she felt a strange bolt of energy shoot up her arm and she instinctively dropped it. The satchel fell and rolled in the dirt, stopped. It was still glowing as it sat there. The fire popped.

Midna and Rykan both stared at it.

"It... it zapped me."

"... what is that?" Rykan asked quietly.

Midna cautiously leaned down and grabbed for the satchel, another bolt hit her and Midna felt herself convulse a little, twitch. That feeling returned, the one of her whole body being on fire. Rykan gasped.

"Whoa!" Rykan backed away a little. "Whoa, no way!" He slapped his forehead and Midna turned to look at him.

"What?"

"You look like it! That's... oh god!" Rykan furrowed his brow.

"Rykan, focus!"

"You, you look like one of the drawings dad made in his journal."

"What?"

"Like, a weird black thing, with... weird. Let go of that thing. It hurts my eyes."

Midna unclasped the glowing satchel and Rykan blinked.

"Back to normal."

"I don't see and feel any different... no, wait... my body feels really warm."

Rykan was looking at her with a scared look.

"Rykan, what drawing?"

"I'm sorry, I started reading it tonight again, I should've had you with me. But there's a page where he drew something that looks like how you looked."

Midna stared at him. "Show me."

Rykan jumped as they heard fast footsteps approaching from the bridge. Midna desperately grasped the still glowing satchel and whirled around. That jolted flowed through her and Midna was standing and staring down at a recollected but now utterly confounded Thanial. His sword was raised, but his mouth hung open and his eyes were wide.

"Leave." Midna bellowed. His front was caked with blood from his broken nose. Thanial whimpered and hesitated moving forward.

"Bitch!" Thanial gritted his teeth. Midna felt her hands crackle, electric, there was a buzzing sound as she felt herself anger at his words.

"Leave us alone!"

Thanial shouted, lunged towards her with his sword. Midna sidestepped him with a surprising, almost automatic grace. She felt the anger consuming her and she grabbed for his throat. Thanial choked, and Midna saw a vague glimpse, her hands were shrouds of blackness, oozing, pulsing, mist. She gripped his throat tightly and violently tossed him on his back. He choked, grabbing his throat and gasping, looking horrified. It seemed odd to her, this strength.

"Obey!" Midna shouted. Thanial was whimpering on the ground, hacking and trying to scoot away from her. Midna stalked towards him. "If you ever try and touch me or my brother again, if I ever see you again..."

Midna leaned towards him and bared her teeth.

"...I will rip... you... apart..." Midna felt herself spit the phrase in a lowly, commanding voice, her words felt strange leaving her mouth. They were tinged with an energy, something forced. Midna watched as Thanial rose shakily to his feet and began to move cautiously towards his horse; unarmed and terrified. His eyes moved up and down her form. Thanial clumsily mounted his steed and kicked it into a canter, then a run. Midna watched as he fled and disappeared into the blackness and the moonlight. Midna dropped the satchel and felt a cold chill consume her, making her nearly drop to her knees.

Midna's head began to pound. "Ahh!" Midna whimpered, and finally stumbled and fell back onto the ground, gripping her head. Rykan's hand rested tensely on her shoulder. She felt him sit beside her and wait. Her head pounded painfully for a few moments and then the feeling subsided.

"Rykan... he killed Khir..." Midna whispered.

Rykan ws silent for a while. "Yeah..."

"What are we going to do?"

Rykan shrugged and looked around. "They forgot supplies, so we'll be fine for a while. Let's think about this in the morning."

Midna nodded and stared into the fire. The night sounds became apparent to her, and a chilly wind blew past. She felt herself calm, slowly.

"I'll show you dad's journal... c'mon," Rykan stated. Minda couldn't believe what had just happened, this whole journey was starting to feel like a dream.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Finally I forced myself to continue this. I'm going to have to make more time to actually work on it in the coming months. I will eventually finish it, just not sure how soon that will be. Enjoy!

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**Love of the Daughter**

**Chapter 6**

Midna stared at the glowing turquoise sphere, turning it over in her palm as Rykan dug through the pockets of the saddle bag. The fire was slowly dying, and there was the distinct chorus of bullfrogs echoing up the cliffs over Lake Hylia. Midna felt her stomach tense as she stared into the sphere. There was a strange, lively swirl of green that shot from one side to the other. The object twitched in her palm. Midna instinctively dropped it quickly back into it's bag, feeling the warmth stay with her for an unnaturally long time. She stuffed into back into her pants pocket, feeling a cold, dreadful chill down her spine.

She turned to look at Rykan.

"Here we go..." Rykan murmured. Midna watched him come and sit next to her, carefully opening the journal. He flipping through it while murmuring to himself. He stopped and flipped back a page. "Right there." Rykan said blandly. Midna stared at the ink drawing. It was clearly a human form, something that their father had clipped out of an anatomy book of some sort and pasted in the middle of the page. Over the anatomical clipping were swatches of black ink that covered everything but the eyes, hands and feet; which were a harder grayer color, with slight claws. To one side was a paragraph written legibly in cursive:

_"I snuck into the castle library despite Zelda's orders to keep me out. I found the information about the Fused Shadows hidden powers something I may be able to use to my advantage if times become desperate enough. Knowing that the Royal Family and the Light Spirits both knew so much about these objects and never used them... it's such a waste that they didn't try harder to manipulate there potencial."_

Rykan looked at Midna. His left eyes was bruising pretty badly and Midna suddenly noticed that he had a wheeze in his breath. Midna gently took the journal from her brother, who just sat there and stared at her.

"I think that the thing Telma gave us is dangerous," Rykan said.

Midna frowned. "Yeah."

Rykan turned to stare into the fire. "I... I got a bad feeling... don't touch that thing anymore until we know what it is."

"Good idea." Midna hunched forward over her knees. "Let's get some sleep." Midna said, patting Rykan on the shoulder. Rykan turned to look at the shredded remained of their canvas tent.

Midna listened to the chorus of frogs and the night sounds as they prepared to sleep on the ground near the fire. The moon was a half full beacon against the stars. Midna swiveled in her sleeping roll, staring upwards and feeling the warmth of the turquoise sphere against her hip. The fire was a pit of dim glowing embers that occasionally crackled or spat ash.

Midna shifted onto her side, hearing Rykan's rhythmic breathing as he drifted into sleep. She stared at the moon. The fire crackled again. Soon, she had hard time keeping her eyes open. Vague images moved into and out of consciousness. Then something strange. The fire popped.

The room was a washed out tone, wooden colors. In front of her were two individuals. Link stared down at the book laid out before him on the library table. The woman Midna didn't immediately recognize. But then it struck her, Queen Zelda stood across from him, staring down at him with a look of pure sympathy. She was dressed in an elegant gown, her hair long and beautiful. Their voices were a far off whisper, it was hard for Midna to hear them clearly.

"I feel uncomfortable letting you pursue this Link, the Light Spirits warned you against attempting..."

"Just because they couldn't control the powers of the Twili's ancestors doesn't mean that the Fused Shadows can't be used to defend us in the future. Do you want another disaster on your hands like the one that happened ten years ago? Come on Zelda!"

Midna watched her father, dressed in the clothes of a strange rogue, which something foreign to her. He was garbed in green, a strange long cap on over his hair. He looked so young.

"You're being so brash lately... please, I don't want to argue with you about this anymore..." Zelda said, sitting down in a chair. Her hands were crossed neatly over her lap. "How... your family?" The words were starting to break up. Midna strained to hear them.

"Illia's... pre... excepting in late... ber."

"Won...erful!" Midna felt a chill overcome her, and she was swallowed by a strange, inky blackness. Then a hot sensation took her, running up her neck like a sickness. She stood before the vastness of a strange valley. Sand dunes surrounded it. She examined the ground, and saw a rock dais, a patterned mandala was trenched into the stone. Out of the middle rose a strange granite pillar, cylindrical and ominous. Carvings were etched deeply into it's crust. There was a hissing voice out of the darkness, Midna felt like it was whispering into her left ear. She felt like she could also feel the breath on her hair.

"Come... come... come to me..."

Midna's eyes snapped open. She felt herself staring out into the still dark night. She was trembling. It felt like the voice was right in her ear, and she covered it with her hand to calm herself. Midna turned on her back and stared up at the moon again. The cold sweat made her shake. She could see her breath. Rykan was still sleeping, but it was many hours until Midna was able to coax herself back to sleep.

--

Midna was awoken by Rykan's shuffling around the camp site. It was early morning. The smell of smoke made her wrinkle her nose as Rykan patted down the ashes and then put dirt over the camp fire. He turned to look at her. Some of the ashes had drifted onto her bedroll. Midna stared at them, blinked.

"Hey, we should go soon." Rykan said.

"Okay."

Rykan turned to look at the Lake Hylia bridge. "The army down there is breaking camp too, and I think they're going to be crossing the bridge."

Midna sat up in her sleep roll, realizing that her joints hurt and that she desperately needed a bath. Midna stood up and looked around them. There were a few areas were there was blood splatter. Rykan was hurriedly covering up the bloody ground with dirt and leaves. Midna watched him. His left eye was a deep shade of purple and there was a ring of bruising along both of his wrists. Midna walked over and touched his arm where he was bruised.

"Rykan, you should put something over your eye. Mom gave us some herbs for bruising, remember?"

"They took them..."

Midna sighed. She watched Rykan continue to pack and then her gaze wandered. She noticed a small pool of water near the bridge under the limb of a large tree. Midna walked over to her bag and removed a linen cloth, then quietly moved over to the pool and dipped it in the clear water. Tadpoles swam desperately out of her way and into the shady parts of the secluded lilies. "Rykan, come here."

Rykan stopped shoveling dirt and packing and walked over to join her. He stared down into the pool. He seemed weak on his feet, and his face was twisted in pain. Midna touched his arm and Rykan sat down and faced her. Midna squeezed out the cloth and then began to lightly pat his bruised eye. Rykan's other eye watched the tadpoles in the pool swim around. It was still cold.

Rykan squinted in pain as she dabbed a little closer to his lid, his eye glazed over as he held back tears. "I'm sorry they hurt you..."

Rykan looked back at Midna with a confused expression.

"When we find dad... we'll tell him about Thanial, and those other goons, I think he'll take care of them."

Rykan smiled a little, then looked back into the pool. His smile faded. Midna stood out and rung out the cloth, and the two walked back to camp and continued to pack up.

--

Midna clothed herself with chain mail and a long tunic that one of the soldiers had left behind, as well as a long knife and a leather hat. Rykan had done similarly with supplies from a different soldier, though they were longer and baggier on him. Midna took the reigns again as they strapped there supplies to Sai. As she sat in the saddle, staring at the bridge that lead to the other side of Lake Hylia, Midna felt herself tense.

"We have to go over the bridge," Midna said.

"Midna, we can't go that way, the soldiers are marching up here right now."

Midna continued to stare. "No, we do have to go over it."

"Why do you keep saying that!?" Rykan said, irritated.

There was a breeze, and Midna blinked, watching a cascade of leaves fall over them. Sai snorted. "Midna, we should go back home, we need to protect mom! She might know what that thing is!" Rykan said. He was pushing annoyingly at her shoulder. Midna shrugged him off.

"Rykan... I have a very strong feeling that we need to go over the bridge in order to find dad." Midna looked at her brother. "Just run with me okay... I don't know why I have the feeling, but it's there."

Rykan squinted at her into the rising sun, he looked mad. "You're acting really weird! Stop dicking round Midna!" Rykan said, pushing her.

"We're going over the bridge Rykan... unless you want to walk back home."

Midna jumped as a sharp kick hit her in the pit of her left knee. Midna held in the urge to elbow her brother. She swallowed the anger. "If we're careful and quick, we can make it over the bridge."

"What if they find us and decide to kill us, like all those soldiers did to the people in Castle Town, huh?"

Midna shrugged. Rykan growled and punched her in the back. "Fine, be stubborn!" Rykan shouted, then he was silent. Midna snapped the reigns and brought Sai into a steady walk, and then a canter. The massive overgrowth over the tunneled bridge was making her nervous as they crossed. Rykan was hanging on to her around the waist, his face against her back.

There were shadows moving over them from the spotted daylight broken by the vines and vegetation. Midna heard the distinct sounds of a war horn and could hear what sounded like clinking armor in the far distance as Sai ran. Midna urged Sai to go faster. Soon she was clinging to the reigns as he bolted like lightning over the bridge. His hooves ringing across the rock and echoing around the enclosed areas of the bridge. Midna felt her heart beating against her rib cage. She was starting to feel dizzy. The riding was getting to her, she breathed in a deep breath. Sai's hooves hit solid earth and Midna guided him down the path that ran opposite of the direction of the clinking armor. The ground felt like it was shaking, but Midna realized it was just herself who was shaking.

"Idiot," Rykan said. "We're alive... thank the gods." Rykan planted his face against her back and clutched her.

"Do you trust me now?"

Rykan tapped her shoulder and Midna looked over at him. Rykan made a loud boo and shoved her, causing Midna to jump and squeal. Rykan laughed, muffling himself so he wouldn't alert anyone to their whereabouts.

"Rykan!" Midna hissed in a low voice, giving him a dirty look.

"Yeah, whatever, get us down to the lake, I need a bath," Rykan said, smirking.

"Me too."

--

Midna walked along the shore of the huge lake, gazing up at the small path they had come down to get here. Rykan had wandered off to bathe in private. The sky was clear and Midna nibbled at a fresh bush of berries she'd found by the lake side. She sat down, waiting for Rykan to finish and come back to get her. Midna stared into the still waters of the lake and watched herself eat.

The ripples of the lake shined with the bright light of the sun. It was peaceful here. Midna felt strangely on edge. The rush of the distant waterfall and the abrupt quietness was a nice breather from what they had been experiencing. Midna stretched and then curiously went to touch the sphere in her pocket. She watched as a raven flew over her head, cawing. Midna touched the sphere and looked back at her reflection in the pool. Nothing had changed.

Midna sighed and released it, feeling that same strange zap like before. Her fingers felt a little tingly. Midna picked another berry and stared back at her reflection. The water lapped at the shore and Midna sighed, swallowing.

"Maybe I'm just wrong, I don't know where dad is..." Midna whispered to herself. There was a distinct splash. Midna looked over to See Rykan's head bobbing a little above water far down shore. Midna watched him splash around. There was that strange wiggling of the sphere against her hip. Midna felt a vague spell of dizziness overcome her. She picked the sphere from her pocket and examined it in the light. It sparkled a little. The surface was a smooth reflective shine, and there were not imperfections anywhere. Midna turned it over in her hand.

The symbols were a mish mash of strange characterized lines. Midna suddenly recognized it, it was ancient Hylian. Midna's eyes widened and she cradled it in both hands, staring at it. "Dad... what were you trying to tell me?" Midna said to no one. She rubbed the sphere with her thumbs. They grazed over a few of the letters and Midna gasped as a strange light emanated faintly from the deep holes. Midna looked to see if Rykan was watching her, but he was now farther down and splashing in the water.

Midna turned back to the sphere and rubbed another nervous thumb over a line of lettering. A stronger light this time, white and strange. It faded. The sphere twitched and Midna felt a zap through her body. Her vision snapped to a black mass, and Midna dropped the sphere as she stared into the dais again, the black cylinder rising out of the desert. There was a strange hissing. Midna covered her ears, forcing herself to blink back. Midna's eyes snapped open. She looked down at the sphere in the sand.

"I... think I know where we're supposed to go..." Midna whispered. "I think dad wanted us to go to that place." Midna continued to stare. Her gaze shifted to the lake and she looked back at her reflection. It was unchanged.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **I'm going to try to finish this story by the end of the summer time... so around September of this year if I can manage. That's all as far as news goes. Cheers!

--

**Love of the Daughter  
**

**Chapter 7**

Rykan lay on the beach, fully dressed and staring up at the cloudy sky as Midna walked towards him. His hair wet and sticking to the sand and his face. He stood and walked up the bank.

"It's all yours!" Rykan said, stretching over his head and groaning. He scratched his wet hair and smiled at her lazily. Midna sat for a moment and watched him put on the gear that they'd commandeered from Thanial and his group. He strapped on the arm guards, the brown tunic, the boots, Midna felt perplexed by it at first. A rapid fire of images of her father in that strange garb struck her.

Then he put on a brown leather cap over his hair. His skin had been vague sunburned and was turning red. The clothes seemed to be fitting him better then they were earlier in the day. Midna wasn't sure whether she was imagining if they were fitting better or not. She watched him and Rykan gave her a frown. Midna continued to stare, then smiled at him faintly and turned away. A knot was developing in her stomach.

Midna walked a bit down the beach, kicking a pebble off into the lake and watching it make a ripple effect on the serene water for a long minute. She found a secluded grove with a number of tall bushes and slowly undressed, and then stepped her feet into the cold water. Midna gazed at her reflection again. Some quiet images and thoughts came to her as her feet adjusted to the temperature. She thought of Khir and Telma. Two people she had known so briefly and yet she felt an ephemeral connection with them. Midna went waist deep and dunked her head under the water as she thought of her father.

The swim was icy at first and Midna went under water very briefly in bursts. Midna stroked through the water and ran fingers through her short hair, shaking her head as she came back on shore. She sighed as she looked at her clothes again. Midna sniffled and sat on the beach for a few seconds in the shadow of the bushes. She waited as the sun slowly dried her skin. A breeze ran through the leaves, causing them to flutter and for her to shiver. Midna clothed herself again and sauntered back along the shore, her hair up in the band from her pants pocket, staring at the beach. Midna looked out briefly over the lake; somewhere in her mind, she felt like they were being watched today, closely.

Midna paused for a second and kicked another rock into the water and watched it ripple. She turned to see Rykan sitting on his back on the ledge a couple meters away, sunbathing with his hands over his eyes. "Hey Rykan?"

Rykan sat up, blinking. "Huh?"

"We should get going."

Rykan paused and studied her for a second. "Okay..."

Midna walked towards Sai, who Rykan had tied to a nearby tree and was carefully picking the leaves off the nearest vegetation. Sai turned to Midna as she approached and Midna watched Rykan out of the corner of her eye. He was still sitting and staring blankly at her from the rock. Rykan paused a second more, and then slide down to the ground, impacting and causing the chain mail that he was wearing to rattle. Midna looked at him as he looked back at her just as perplexed and blank at before.

"So... where are we going?" Rykan asked, looking away.

"I think we need to go west from here."

"Why?"

Midna shuffled on her feet, her hand unconsciously brushing the bulging pocket that held the sphere. Rykan's eyes flicked down briefly. He frowned. "Why do you think that?" Rykan asked, more irate.

"Because I do!" Midna blurted out.

Rykan blinked. The two stared at each other and Rykan looked away briefly and frowned.

"Never mind.. let's go." Midna said, frowning and turning from him. She could feel Rykan's cold stare on the back of her neck. It was quiet as Midna mounted Sai. He snorted and his head bobbed, ears facing back to listen to her. Rykan was watching her, and Midna felt her heart begin to beat against her chest. "Rykan..." Midna said.

"What fearless leader?" Rykan said, walking over and swinging into the saddle behind her. He gripped her and grunted. There was silence. Rykan's focus seemed to be permanently glued to the horizon for the trip up the trail to the basin of the Great Bridge. Midna walked Sai much of the way, savoring the moderate temperatures and the wind. It dried her hair surprisingly quick and she felt much more relaxed and alert.

Midna watched a sparrow hop across a branch and call as they stopped briefly to rest and eat in the early afternoon sun. Midna's imagination flickered with thoughts of Telma and Khir. She wondered if Telma was okay, because she knew she wanted to see her again, and to ask her about her father. Midna watched the sparrow flutter off. Rykan had been unusually silent and he was looking off at the horizon again. Midna watched him chew the granola and nervously shake what was left in the palm of his hand.

Rykan stopped shaking it and Midna studied him more closely. She followed his gaze across the basin and could see some movement from a trail that lead to the opposite side of the bridge. Sun glinted briefly off of a metal object. Rykan seemed to notice this also and sat completely still, yet still didn't say a word. Midna cleared her throat.

"Who do you think they are?"

Rykan turned to give her a half glance. He shrugged and stuffed the rest of the granola into his mouth. The movement had disappeared behind a grove of trees when Midna tried to pinpoint it again. The two sat there for a while and then Rykan stretched to his feet and the two remounted Sai and moved on. The craggy canyon was an unfamiliar landscape as they exited the Lake Hylia basin. Midna felt most comfortable going at a slow pace. A few tektites eyed them as they bathed in the noon sun on some rocky outcroppings. One of them twitching its spindly legs and croaked softly as they passed. Rykan had fallen asleep an hour later, his head firmly planted into her back. Midna and Sai trudged on at a slow walk. Midna keeping her eye on the sun as they moved.

Midna took a deep breath. The walls of rock would dip high and low and the path narrowed and widened randomly as they proceeded forward. Midna watched as the clouds gathered above them, hoping to the goddesses that it wouldn't rain. There were patches of random fog, and then the heavy mist came and the cold. Rykan awoke to this and the two wrapped themselves into their cloaks again. Midna could smell Ordon and her mother's cooking in the fabric, and it made her weak as she gripped the reigns. A flood of memories hit her;

She was crying and her father had her in his arms and was talking to her, patting her back gently in time with a strange song that her parents used to sing to them at night. The lyrics were not in native Hylian, but an older language that was now extinct. Illia had told her once it was the language of the Sheikah people, who were now gone. Midna could feel her mother's soothing laugh as she listened to her parents talking as they ate together and then she saw them kiss. Midna played with the ranch Goats and Illia held her brother. She remembered watching her father practice sword play with Colin's father in the yard. The two were swift, and Midna remembered gripping the window sill so hard that her knuckles hurt.

Midna blinked, realizing that her knuckles hurt right now. Rykan was breathing on her back. Midna realized she had seen a shape in the fog, and then Sai had stopped walking. He swayed on his feet, his head pointed in the direction of the gray flicker that had now disappeared. Midna stared at the spot for a few seconds longer. Her brother shifted behind her.

Midna stirred Sai into walking again and the rolling fog came in and out again. The wind was howling now. Midna couldn't see much to either side in front of her. The ground felt softer. They must have been out of the craggy canyon by now. The fog in front of them swirled over the ground in long trails. Midna could feel the dew sticking to her skin like film now as the wool cloak kept her warm. She started to sweat. It was cooler here then in the basin of the lake, that much she was sure of.

Sai continued into the wind and the fog. There were the sounds of fluttering leaves from the trees. Midna turned again as another set of flickers proceeded through the fog to their left. She gripped the reigns and gently stopped Sai once again. Rykan was just as focused on the same area. Midna could see her breath as she sat there for a dreadful couple of moments, straining to listen into the fog.

"They're just animals." Midna whispered, staring as Rykan shifted behind her. A few more moments passed and nothing more happened. A gust of stronger wind and the fog cleared in the area they found themselves staring into. it was an empty landscape, flat and grassy. A few yellow wildflowers dotted the ground.

Midna urged Sai forward at a faster pace, focusing back on the sound of the flowing water. The fog lifted sometime after that point. The sun was lower on the horizon and the sky turned to an intense twilight orange. The running water was a nearby stream bubbling out from the mountains. Midna suspected in fed directly into Lake Hylia if she followed it far enough. They stopped at a dry patch near the mouth of the stream. It was tucked away again the cliffs and Midna and Rykan set up their tent and spent the evening watching the sun settle. It became pitch black frighteningly quick.

--

Midna stayed out for a while, gazing up at the stars. It was a sliver of a moon that came out that night. Midna watched it rise over a large fir tree as she sat and contemplated. She honestly did not want to sleep, she was scared of doing so now. The sphere in her pocket had begun to glow softly; opaquely under the moon. Midna stared down at the distinct tiny light from her pocket and her mind went blank.

Midna strained to stare at the moon at long as she could, but soon she felt herself blinking to keep her eyes open. Exhaustion hit her and Midna turned and crawled back into the tent next to Rykan, feeling around for her sleeping roll. She closed her eyes and felt the voices, which had been a presence in the back of her mind suddenly push themselves forward. It felt like they were right next to her, and she strained to hear them.

"That is preposterous!" The scene liquified. Midna could tell that she was floating next to a throne in a huge hall. That same beautiful woman sat in the seat, she face twisted in anger as she uttered the words. The scene a sepia tone wash out of color; almost black and white.

"That was the reason the goddesses blessed us with the light spirits; to protect us from that magic, it is not for us to touch!"

Midna followed her gaze to see her father standing just a couple feet down the stairs, behind him were a number of different, heavily dressed soldiers, some shifting uncomfortably behind her father as he slowly advanced up the stairs. Midna's eyes widened as she pinpointed a familiar young man among the crowd. Despite the washed out colors of the vision, his hair was a flaming red, and he was tall and stockily built, his face a stoic mask as he stared with the rest of them towards Queen Zelda.

"Zelda, I know I can harness it without the side effects. If we isolate the magic into new sealed containers, it won't be as strong, and we can use it to train our new regiments. Hyrule is weak fro..."

"Link, you have no place telling me how to deal with these matters, you should know that well enough yourself!" Midna looked at her father, it seemed older in this vision, and he wore the clothes of an Ordon man. A long cloak and a sword still strapped to his hip. He took another step up the stairs towards Zelda.

"Zelda," Link said. He brought out a bound leather book from his cloak and as he showed the cover, Midna blinked. There was a strange symbol etched into the front; swirling etched lines that formed what Midna recognized, to her surprise, as the symbol that was etched on the stone pillar, the one in her other dream in the desert. Midna jumped as Zelda shrieked.

"Link, you steal from my library and except a hearing!? I don't care if you think you can control the forbidden magic. You are hereby restricted from this castle entirely. Guards, get him out of here!"

Her father sat staring, shocked; up at Zelda, who was now quickly rising to her feet. Two large men were walking towards her father and attempting to escort him out of the room. Midna watched her father turn to look back at Zelda, that look of pure shock was moving into sadness. Midna felt a cold chill. She turned around, feeling a breath graze her neck. Behind her the throne room dissolved into a strange, inky blackness that Midna was sure hadn't been there before. She watched Zelda walk off into it, seeming unaware of it even after it consumed her. Midna felt her whole body tense.

That uncomfortable tickling sensation next to her ear was back. Midna looked around, she turned to her left as a flicker of something moved against the darkness. Midna realized suddenly that the room was deathly quiet, and that she was the only one in it now. Midna looked back to where her father had been, and noticed that the strange blackness was now covering the exit to that side of the room and was blocking out some of the stairs leading up. Midna jumped as she felt a distinct brush against her shoulder.

She turned towards the movement out of the corner of her eye and found herself staring into into the face of a solid form that was inches from her own face, it's own face a featureless slate. It stood out barely against the darkness behind her as a solid mass. Midna felt her heart thumping against her chest. She felt like screaming but the scream tangled in her throat, and she realized her could no longer move. Midna gasped for breath, her feet and hands felt like they were being dipped slowly through ice water. The featureless face leaned closer still, and she felt strange icy forms close around her face and jaw.

"Come... please, come..." the voice invaded her left ear like a sick, desperate fly. "Please, freedom... please..." there was an incredibly loud cackling scream. It made Midna want to scream for help; she was being choked. She was being choked to death. The fingers invaded her mouth. They were like ice.

A faraway cry. "Midna!"

Midna struggled against the grip, feeling herself finally let out a scream. Midna was trembling terribly as Rykan's voice alerted her and she felt the cool sensation of her own body come back in a hot rush.

"Midna!" Rykan said. Midna realized his hands were on her shoulders.

Midna was hyper ventilating. She felt the hot sensation of the sphere against her hip. As she moved to touch it and it burned her fingers, causing her to yelp. Midna gripped it, gritting her teeth and flung it to the other side of the tent, where in sat on the ground, still glowing that innocent turquoise green. Rykan was sitting next to her and shuffling about. Soon there was a light from the oil lantern as Rykan fumbled to light it.

"Sis, what's wrong?" Rykan said, his eyes wide, scared spheres.

Midna knew she was shaking, she could feel the quaking all the way to her bones. She flashed hot, cold. Midna felt herself tearing up. Her right palm was steaming from the heat of the sphere and she felt the ache of the newly acquired burn awaken her even more.

Rykan shuffled on his seat and stared at her with his wide, intelligent eyes. Midna took a long deep breath and sat staring at the faintly glowing object. "You're going to think I'm crazy..." Midna chuckled darkly. Rykan's face tightened a bit under the flickering lantern light. He continued to study her as she calmed herself down. "I was being choked to death, by this weird... thing, and the last two nights I've been having these dreams." Midna paused. "I... I think they're more like memories... yeah, not dreams..." Rykan was unencouragingly, still silent. His face was a blank, shocked expression. "I think they're dad's memories." Rykan blinked oddly at this statement. He slowly turned to look at the sphere, then back at Midna.

Midna and Rykan sat there for a long while, both of them staring at the sphere. Midna felt that icy sensation run over her a few more times in successively less intense waves. The sphere would occasionally tilt and move on its own. "Has it been moving like that since we got it?" Rykan asked quietly.

"Yeah... I've felt it moving..."

"I knew there was a reason I was having those dreams too..." Rykan said quietly. Midna looked at him at he still stared at the sphere. "You know... the one tonight, where dad is in that room with Zelda? ... at least, I think that'd who he was talking to."

Midna was stunned that these words kept coming out of her brothers mouth.

"But I woke up when those soldiers took him out of the room, it was like the dream just cut off abruptly or something." Rykan turned towards her. "I guess it's good that we're having the same dream... that makes it less weird." Rykan smirked a little. Midna's eyes flicked back as the sphere made another twitch on the ground, rolling more towards the corner. Midna watched him as Rykan just sat there. Rykan looked back at her. "Maybe we shouldn't touch it anymore." Rykan said. Midna nodded and they both went back to staring at it.

"Hey Rykan?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we should... read the rest of dad's journal before we do anything else tomorrow."

Rykan nodded, his eyes still glued to the glowing object. It had gone stationary now for a few tense moments.

Midna continued. "Maybe we can find out what Fused Shadows are... I'm thinking dad might have talked about them more." Pause. "But knowing how disjointed that journal is now, I'm not even sure." Rykan smirked at this, sighing. He looked back at Midna.

"It doesn't seem like dad though... to be this mysterious on purpose." Rykan said quietly. He shrugged. "I mean, he's late a lot and sure he's kind of absent minded sometimes, but I don't know." Rykan blinked. "I just have the weird feeling that he didn't write that journal sometimes."

Midna sighed. "Yeah." She looked at Rykan.

The sphere suddenly made another roll and Rykan jumped, surprised. "Dins fury, that thing is freaking me out!" Rykan grappled for his dagger and leaned towards the sphere, poking it with the dagger and rolling it across the ground towards him. He took a linen cloth from his bag and carefully wrapped the sphere in it, being careful not to let his bare skin touch the sphere.

"Where's the satchel that Telma gave you?"

Midna fumbled for the bag, watching as Rykan tentatively held the sphere in a ginger, loose grip, seeming ready to drop it again at a moments notice. "Did you have the dream about the desert?" Midna asked nervously as she finally wrestled the satchel from her pants pocket.

Rykan blinked at her. "No..." pause. "I didn't have the choking dream either..."

Midna handed him the satchel and Rykan dropped the sphere into it. Midna noticed that the bruising around his left eye was slowly turning into a sick yellow. She was just glad it hadn't appeared to do any permanent damage to him. Rykan dropped the satchel into yet another bag and then tossed it back to the corner of the tent and stared at it.

"Let's not touch it anymore..." Midna said.

"Yeah," Rykan agreed. "Yeah, I think we've firmly established that's a bad idea..."


End file.
